A MEDICAL VIEW OF THE PERILS OF FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3065, 9 December 1908, Page 4

A MEDICAL VIEW OF THE PERILS OF FOOTBALL.

We have on other occasions referred to the factors which are chiefly at work in rendering football dangerous. These factors are many. ... It is absolutely certain that dangerous collisions must now and again occur. These dangers are more than of the game; they constitute the game, and cannot be removed without alteration in the rules. But this is not all. Football is, in particular, dangerous, in accordance with the spirit in which it is played. The element of personal conflict is very pronounced in either code, and in the give-and-take of a scrummage or melee loss of temper may lead to the infliction of serious injuries. . . . We hope that those papers whose more especial province football, and the discussion of football, rightly is will not consider the fact that we again call attention to the subject other than reasonable, and we hope that referees will punish with all

lossible rigor persons who play oully. A suggestion which we beieve is not quite a new one has ecently been referred to in the lay s ress —namely, that injured men in ootball matches should be replaced >y fresh one.*. Ti'is may be regarded as a frank admission of the :act that unscrupulous players may )e found who are tempted by lust )f victory to injure a player with :he deliberate object of reducing the lumber of opponents. We mention ;he suggestion not as advocating it for it seems impracticable —but )nly as proving the confessed existence of foul players. While there should be genera] desire to minimise the risks of football to life and limb, we most of all particularly iesire to suppress dangerous foul play, an 1 we look to the authorities of the game to punish in the severest maimer —i.e., by heavy fines —clubs whose members are found guilty of the offence. —"Lancet."