DANGERS OF SWIMMING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 11 February 1908, Page 1

DANGERS OF SWIMMING.

Why does sudden death sometimes overwhelm even skilful and oiperienced swimmers under circumstances / that do not seem in any way olKnorii mal? In addition to the popTilar 0 and vague diagnosis of "cramps," t numerous explanations have been' pat 8 forward, such as heart failure', isyn--3 cope, nausea, and vomiting, .rupture 1" of an ear-drum, and "the effect of- en--1 tering the water shortly after a 9 meal. ' ' These, ' ' says a writfir in 1 the "American Medical KeiySd," 2 "are all more or less indefinite, and I leave a great deal to the imagina- _ tion." Bevenstorf, in the ";Munchener Medizinische Wochenschrift, " J points out what may be tho true, cs.planation. Says' the <^Be"^jtt''':-^ } ' "Dv Bois Ee'ymond has alrfajlr fflsown , that the effect Of simple' immersion' ' in deep water is to increase vthe en- | orgy" output necessary :_dhiesJiration , by about 10 per cent.; while the very j actiive muscular exercise attending r the act of swimming greatly augments the tax on the respiratory i muscles which are then called on to i do at least 50 per cent. moVe^wojx! . than when the body is.-.t^ie-Ci'ipt i land. Muller has found :ih_^tne'.p^y : monary intake during "swimming is' i 51 litres per minute, as opposed to i 42 liters during mountain' climbing, j i ' This increased tax in the respiratory capacity, together with the very active muscular exertion ! in "Which good i swimmers are apt to indulge, When combined with a third factor, that of gastric distension, is considered by Bevenstorf sufficient to explain many instances of apparent inexplicable drowning. if the ; stomaeh is distended with food, fluid, or gas, the effect of the increased pressure on the surface of the body in impedinff: the movements of the diaphragm iSJ greatly augmented" and respiratory" failure can occur without the victim's having received; any warning of; the impending collapse. Revenstorf! describes several cases in which hb abnormality could be found to ex-: plain the sudden death, but the stomach was more or less distended with food, and while nil the swimmers who die suddenly while in tho wator undoubtedly do not do so ns the consequence of bathing too soon ■ after; eating, tho author's argument is a cogent reason for adhering to the old rule not to enter the water until an hour or two after tho last meal:" ' 1