anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第113部分

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ted　Captain　Barclay　wagered　that　he　could　walk　1000　miles　in　one　thousand　consecutive　hours；　and　gained　his　bet　with　some　hours　to　spare。　In　1834　Ernest　Mensen　astonished　all　Europe　by　his　pedestrian　exploits。　He　was　a　Norwegian　sailor；　who　wagered　that　he　could　walk　from　Paris　to　Moscow　in　fifteen　days。　On　June　25；　1834；　at　ten　o'clock　A。M。；　he　entered　the　Kremlin；　after　having　traversed　2500　kilometers　（1550　miles）　in　fourteen　days　and　eighteen　hours。　His　performances　all　over　Europe　were　so　marvelous　as　to　be　almost　incredible。　In　1836；　in　the　service　of　the　East　India　Company；　he　was　dispatched　from　Calcutta　to　Constantinople；　across　Central　Asia。　He　traversed　the　distance　in　fifty…nine　days；　accomplishing　9000　kilometers　（5580　miles）　in　one…third　less　time　than　the　most　rapid　caravan。　He　died　while　attempting　to　discover　the　source　of　the　Nile；　having　reached　the　village　of　Syang。

A　most　marvelous　feat　of　endurance　is　recorded　in　England　in　the　first　part　of　this　century。　It　is　said　that　on　a　wager　Sir　Andrew　Leith　Hay　and　Lord　Kennedy　walked　two　days　and　a　night　under　pouring　rain；　over　the　Grampian　range　of　mountains；　wading　all　one　day　in　a　bog。　The　distance　traversed　was　from　a　village　called　Banchory　on　the　river　Dee　to　Inverness。　This　feat　was　accomplished　without　any　previous　preparation；　both　men　starting　shortly　after　the　time　of　the　wager。

Riders。The　feats　of　endurance　accomplished　by　the　couriers　who　ride　great　distances　with　many　changes　of　horses　are　noteworthy。　According　to　a　contemporary　medical　journal　there　is；　in　the　Friend　of　India；　an　account　of　the　Thibetan　couriers　who　ride　for　three　weeks　with　intervals　of　only　half　an　hour　to　eat　and　change　horses。　It　is　the　duty　of　the　officials　at　the　Dak　bungalows　to　see　that　the　courier　makes　no　delay；　and　even　if　dying　he　is　tied　to　his　horse　and　sent　to　the　next　station。　The　celebrated　English　huntsman；　〃Squire〃　Osbaldistone；　on　a　wager　rode　200　miles　in　seven　hours　ten　minutes　and　four　seconds。　He　used　28　horses；　and　as　one　hour　twenty…two　minutes　and　fifty…six　seconds　were　allowed　for　stoppages；　the　whole　time；　changes　and　all；　occupied　in　accomplishing　this　wonderful　feat　was　eight　hours　and　forty…two　minutes。　The　race　was　ridden　at　the　Newmarket　Houghton　Meeting　over　a　four…mile　course。　It　is　said　that　a　Captain　Horne　of　the　Madras　Horse　Artillery　rode　200　miles　on　Arab　horses　in　less　than　ten　hours　along　the　road　between　Madras　and　Bangalore。　When　we　consider　the　slower　speed　of　the　Arab　horses　and　the　roads　and　climate　of　India；　this　performance　equals　the　200　miles　in　the　shorter　time　about　an　English　race　track　and　on　thoroughbreds。　It　is　said　that　this　wonderful　horseman　lost　his　life　in　riding　a　horse　named　〃Jumping　Jenny〃　100　miles　a　day　for　eight　days。　The　heat　was　excessive；　and　although　the　horse　was　none　the　worse　for　the　performance；　the　Captain　died　from　the　exposure　he　encountered。　There　is　a　record　of　a　Mr。　Bacon　of　the　Bombay　Civil　Service；　who　rode　one　camel　from　Bombay　to　Allygur　（perhaps　800　miles）　in　eight　days。

As　regards　the　physiology　of　the　runners　and　walkers；　it　is　quite　interesting　to　follow　the　effects　of　training　on　the　respiration；　whereby　in　a　measure　is　explained　the　ability　of　these　persons　to　maintain　their　respiratory　function；　although　excessively　exercising。　A　curious　discussion；　persisted　in　since　antiquity；　is　as　to　the　supposed　influence　of　the　spleen　on　the　ability　of　couriers。　For　ages　runners　have　believed　that　the　spleen　was　a　hindrance　to　their　vocation；　and　that　its　reduction　was　followed　by　greater　agility　on　the　course。　With　some；　this　opinion　is　perpetuated　to　the　present　day。　In　France　there　is　a　proverb；　〃Courir　comme　un　derate。〃　To　reduce　the　size　of　the　spleen；　the　Greek　athletes　used　certain　beverages；　the　composition　of　which　was　not　generally　known；　the　Romans　had　a　similar　belief　and　habit　Pliny　speaks　of　a　plant　called　equisetum；　a　decoction　of　which　taken　for　three　days　after　a　fast　of　twenty…four　hours　would　effect　absorption　of　the　spleen。　The　modern　pharmacopeia　does　not　possess　any　substance　having　a　similar　virtue；　although　quinin　has　been　noticed　to　diminish　the　size　of　the　spleen　when　engorged　in　malarial　fevers。　Strictly　speaking；　however；　the　facts　are　not　analogous。　Hippocrates　advises　a　moxa　of　mushrooms　applied　over　the　spleen　for　melting　or　dissolving　it。　Godefroy　Moebius　is　said　to　have　seen　in　the　village　of　Halberstadt　a　courier　whose　spleen　had　been　cauterized　after　incision；　and　about　the　same　epoch　（seventeenth　century）　some　men　pretended　to　be　able　to　successfully　extirpate　the　spleen　for　those　who　desired　to　be　couriers。　This　operation　we　know　to　be　one　of　the　most　delicate　in　modern　surgery；　and　as　we　are　progressing　with　our　physiologic　knowledge　of　the　spleen　we　see　nothing　to　justify　the　old　theory　in　regard　to　its　relations　to　agility　and　coursing。

Swimming。The　instances　of　endurance　that　we　see　in　the　aquatic　sports　are　equally　as　remarkable　as　those　that　we　find　among　the　runners　and　walkers。　In　the　ancient　days　the　Greeks；　living　on　their　various　islands　and　being　in　a　mild　climate；　were　celebrated　for　their　prowess　as　swimmers。　Socrates　relates　the　feats　of　swimming　among　the　inhabitants　of　Delos。　The　journeys　of　Leander　across　the　Hellespont　are　well　celebrated　in　verse　and　prose；　but　this　feat　has　been　easily　accomplished　many　times　since；　and　is　hardly　to　be　classed　as　extraordinary。　Herodotus　says　that　the　Macedonians　were　skilful　swimmers；　and　all　the　savage　tribes　about　the　borders　of　waterways　are　found　possessed　of　remarkable　dexterity　and　endurance　in　swimming。

In　1875　the　celebrated　Captain　Webb　swam　from　Dover　to　Calais。　On　landing　he　felt　extremely　cold；　but　his　body　was　as　warm　as　when　he　started。　He　was　exhausted　and　very　sleepy；　falling　in　deep　slumber　on　his　way　to　the　hotel。　On　getting　into　bed　his　temperature　was　98　degrees　F。　and　his　pulse　normal。　In　five　hours　he　was　feverish；　his　temperature　rising　to　101　degrees　F。　During　the　passage　he　was　blinded　from　the　salt　water　in　his　eyes　and　the　spray　beating　against　his　face。　He　strongly　denied　the　newspaper　reports　that　he　was　delirious；　and　after　a　good　rest　was　apparently　none　the　worse　for　the　task。　In　1876　he　again　traversed　this　passage　with　the　happiest　issue。　In　1883　he　was　engaged　by　speculators　to　swim　the　rapids　at　Niagara；　and　in　attempting　this　was　overcome　by　the　powerful　currents；　and　his　body　was　not　recovered　for　some　days　after。　The　passage　from　Dover　to　Calais　has　been　duplicated。

In　1877　Cavill；　another　Englishman；　swam　from　Cape　Griz…Nez　to　South　Forland　in　less　than　thirteen　hours。　In　1880　Webb　swam　and　floated　at　Scarborough　for　seventy…four　consecutive　hoursof　course；　having　no　current　to　contend　with　and　no　point　to　reach。　This　was　merely　a　feat　of　staying　in　the　water。　In　London　in　1881；　Beckwith；　swimming　ten　hours　a　day　over　a　32…lap　course　for　six　days；　traversed　94　miles。　Since　the　time　of　Captain　Webb；　who　was　the　pioneer　of　modern　long…distance　swimming；　many　men　have　attempted　and　some　have　duplicated　his　feats；　but　these　foolhardy　performances　have　in　late　years　been　diminishing；　and　many　of　the　older　feats　are　forbidden　by　law。

Jumpers　and　acrobatic　tumblers　have　been　popular　from　the　earliest　time。　By　the　aid　of　springing　boards　and　weights　in　their　hands；　the　old　jumpers　covered　great　distances。　Phayllus　of　Croton　is　accredited　with　jumping　the　incredible　distance　of　55　feet；　and　we　have　the　authority　of　Eustache　and　Tzetzes　that　this　jump　is　genuine。　In　the　writings　of　many　Greek　and　Roman　historians　are　chronicled　jumps　of　about　50　feet　by　the　athletes；　if　they　are　true；　the　modern　jumpers　have　greatly　degenerated。　A　jump　of　over　20　feet　to…day　is　considered　very　clever；　the　record　being　29　feet　seven　inches　with　weights；　and　23　feet　eight　inches　without　weights；　although　much　greater　distances　have　been　jumped　with　the　aid　of　apparatus；　but　never　an　approximation　to　50　feet。　The　most　surprising　of　all　these　athletes　are　the　tumblers；　who　turn　somersaults　over　several　animals　arranged　in　a　row。　Such　feats　are　not　only　the　most　amusing　sights　of　a　modern　circus；　but　also　the　most　interesting　as　well。　The　agility　of　these　men　is　marvelous；　and　the　force　with　which　they　throw　themselves　in　the　air　apparently　enables　them　to　defy　gravity。　In　London；　Paris；　or　New　York　one　may　see　these　wonderful　tumblers　and　marvel　at　the　capabilities　of　human　physical　development。

In　September；　1895；　M。　F。　Sweeney；　an　American　amateur；　at　Manhattan　Field　in　New　York　jumped　six　feet　5　5/8　inches　high　in　the　running　high　jump　without　weights。　With　weights；　J。　H。　Fitzpatrick　at　Oak　Island；　Mass。；　jumped　six　feet　six　inches　high。　The　record　for　the　running　high　kick　is　nine　feet　eight　inches；　a　marvelous　performance；　made　by　C。　C。　Lee　at　New　Haven；　Conn。；　March　19；　1887。

Extraordinary　physical　development　and　strength　has　been　a　grand　means　of　natural　selection　in　the　human　species。　As　Guyot…Daubes　remarks；　in　prehistoric　times；　when　our　ancestors　had　to　battle　against　hunger；　savage　beasts；　and　their　neighbors；　and　when　the　struggle　for　existence　was　so　extremely　hard；　the　strong　man　alone　resisted　and　the　weak　succumbed。　This　natural　selection　has　been　perpetuated　almost　to　our　day；　during　the　long　succession　of　centuries；　the　chief　or　the　master　was　selected　on　account　of　his　being　the　strongest；　or　the　most　valiant　in　the　combat。　Originally；　the　cavaliers；　the　members　of　the　nobility；　were　those　who　were　noted　for　their　courage　and　strength；　and　to　them　were　given　the　lands　of　the　vanquished。　Even　in　times　other　than　those　of　war；　disputes　of　succession　were　settled　by　jousts　and　tourneys。　This　fact　is　seen　in　the　present　day　among　the　lower　animals；　who　in　their　natural　state　live　in　tribes；　the　leader　is　usually　the　strongest；　the　wisest；　and　the　most　courageous。

The　strong　men　of　all　times　have　excited　the　admiration　of　their　fellows　and　have　always　been　objects　of　popular　interest。　The　Bible　celebrates　the　exploits　of　Samson　of　the　tribe　of　Dan。　During　his　youth　he；　single　handed；　strangled　a　lion；　with　the　jaw…bone　of　an　ass　he　is　said　to　have　killed　1000　Philistines　and　put　the　rest　to　flight。　At　another　time　during　the　night　he　transported　from　the　village　of　Gaza