PERILS OF GOLF BALLS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1114, 26 June 1913, Page 4

PERILS OF GOLF BALLS.

BOY LOSES SIGHT OF AN EYE. The danger of dissecting golf balls is illustrated by a case recorded in the current issue of the official journal of the American Medical Association. A boy aged ten, while cutting through a ball to see ot what it was made, ruptured the small rubber ball in the centre, and the contents spurted into his right eye, the sight of which he lost. An analysis of the paste in the core showed that it consisted of a mixture of barium sulphate, soap, and caustic soda.

The journal recalls that the United States Golf Association recently issued this warning : “Owing to the fact that serious accidents have occurred in the past few years, due to cutting open certain makes of golf balls containing acid and other sight-de-stroying compounds, the association warns all persons to refrain from this dangerous practice.” As a rule, the centres of liquidcore golf balls are formed of a rubber bag containing heavy liquids, often of a highly caustic nature. Analysis of the contents has disclosed, in addition to caustic soda, hydrochloric acid and zinc chlorides.

These liquids and their rubber container are tighly covered by machine-wound ribbons, and are therefore subjected to great pressure, so that when cut open the fluid contents are expelled with considerable force.

SOAP CENTRES.

NO DANGEROUS LIQUID IN

ENGLISH MAKES,

A scientific examination of a number of English golf balls of well-known make shows that they will not cause accidents like that referred to above. In the case of the English balls the liquid in the core might, however, cause some slight inflammation if it entered the eye. The results of the examination, which was made by Mr E. F. Harrison, tljie analyst, are as follows: — 1. A favourite half-crown ball. In the centre was a small rubber bag containing half an ounce of a thick cream which consisted principally of soap. The amount of alkali present was not’ much greater than is found in a rather alkaline soap. 2. A popular half-crown “floater.” In the centre was rather over an eighth of an ounce of turbid liquid of syrupy consistency containing 1.5 per cent, of soda present in the carbonate and not in the caustic form.

3. A half-crown ball sold as a “water core” ball. In the centre was a quarter of an ounce of water.

4. A two shilling ball, new brand. It contained over half an ounce of a paste of similar composition to that in No. 1. 5. A two shilling ball. It contained about half an ounce ol soapy paste with a negligible quantity of alkali.

Five other balls, three priced at half a crown, one at two shillings and one at a similar price, were solid throughout.

OBJECT OF THE CORE

None of the balls contained any acid or fine chloride as is the case in some American balls. When the bag containing the paste was opened the paste spurted out with considerable force.

The object of the liquid core is to give greater resilience to the ball, and the small proportion of alkali tends to preserve the rubber bag in which the liquid is contained.