THE BICYCLE HEART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10836, 20 August 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE BICYCLE HEART.

THE LATEST DANGER IN WHEELING. Tin-: New York World says:— And now cmnej the bicycle heart. There have been many other bicycle portioMs of the anatomy, nil bad enough and d'sagreeable in their own way— as the bicycle face, the bicycle eye, the bicycle hand, foot, toe, and so on. But the bicycle heart, which is just now developing to such an alarming prominence, is by far the most serious of all the abnormal developments of the human body brought on by immoderate use of the silent steed of steel.

The knowledge of the existence of the bicycle heart comes forcibly before the public at this time on account of the fact that great number of amateur athletes in apparently good condition are being rejected by the military authorities when they offer themselves for any branch of the service. The office in charge of the recruiting office at Third Avenue and Ninth-street, New York, told a Sunday World reporter that out of every 10 men rejected for any cause whatever, there is one man whose application is rejected on account of heart trouble, which is more or less caused by bicycle heart. It is even worse among the applications to the army of France. It came out. recently that well-known French wheelmen were promptly rejected by the medical authorities on account of bicycle heart. The wheelmen were astonished at their rejection, as to all outward appearances they were in the best of health and training. But they were not allowed to join the army, even "in the capacity of bicycle couriers. Tho bicycle'heart- in a man or woman is liable to cause sudden death at any moment, but particularly while riding the 'wheel. It consists of the heart being enormously enlarged by the unnatural rush of blood produced by the too violent exercise without a corresponding toning up or strengthening of the chambers of the heart. The simple cause of the bicycle heart is in taking more exercise on your wheel—that is stirring up the circulation of your blood more -than your heart is normally equipped to sustain without injury. The more violent Will be the rash of blood to your heart, and the sooner- will you develop the bicycle heart the best cure for the bicycle heart is to' stop wheeling at once for a couple of weeks or months, according to the degree the bicycle heart has been developed. Then when you begin again you must limit yourself to short hours and short runs on your wheel gradually increasing the time and the d !