BOXERS’ HEARTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 August 1921, Page 4

BOXERS’ HEARTS.

(By a Medical Examiner.) Perhaps no sport demands such perfect physical fitness as boxing, for in no other athletic engagement is such a serious contingency as unconsciousness a recognised, part ol the game. It is) well, therei'iAre, that in all boxing bouts—under National Sporting Club rules at any rate—the medical examination of contestants is a neces safy condition of entry. One is often asked the question: ‘•Does the preliminary examination of the hoxer ever reveal anything that j might throw right on the probable result?” , j The problem is far too complex to admit of a definite answer one way or the other, for no amount of logic can ever eliminate the element of chance. I There are, however, revealed by a medi- ! cal inspection" certain bread indications of those primary factory on which the ' result must ultimately depend and j which lend themselves to speculation I Of all organs of the body T regard i i the heart as most important in this r espect. It gives some clue by its slow ! steiulv beat to the staying power on the physical side; at the same time, its ! voi’v sluwnoKs denotes a calm and arsperturbed mind—which is an obvious advantage in any feats of endurance. ! The other day T had occasion to examine a schoolboy, about 17 years of . age. wlio had a few days previously won his mile in the school sports. Apart ; from a good physique, his pulse rate was do pep minute. Flic normal rate is 72, so that the extra rest which this means to the heart is enormous. T have several times noticed this ' association of “slowness” with staying power, and this belief is strengthened bv the recent confirmation given by Sir Charles Nugent with reg.ud to tlie abnormally slow heart of the "inner of the Royal Hunt Cup. The slow heart, which is natural, ami not due to disease denotes staying power, and an imperturbability of mind that indicates control and therefore al- . lows deliberate action and judgment—the most certain forerunners of success The excitable lemreramont. is alwavs given away bv the • tell-tale” 'wart with its rapid beat. The may he associated with great and often useless activity for a time, but the inevitable climax culminating in fatigue, is not iar off. A few months ago T came across a typi- ' 1 cal case during the examination of some ■ boxers and my prognostications as to the exnected result were fulfilled. The 1 boy’s heart, though limltbv, was evi- [ rlt'iill v stimulated by the excitement of , the impending contest. He got through his first lout wi<h marked superiority l»v his quickness of action—only to b,. put out «n»n after when he had shot his holt. Quickness of physical and mental response is a great and somewhat rare asset in the case of heavy-weights, tor few systems can. withstand the culminating effect of some well vlaeed. fullmeasure blows on such vital spots as “the point” (chin) or tlvsilar plexus. The nervous temperament in a boxer, however clever, is not of much value, j for uuh -’s by bis quickness o! action he puts his man out early he soon falls a victim to the first few well-olai e<l punches on account of his high individual “shock value.” Self-confidence, based on the knowledge of one’s physical capacity, goes 1 a long way toward solving the seer't of success.