Why? The Science of Athletics

342 WHY?-THE SCIENCE OF ATHLETICS not operate in the other direction, because acclimatization to lack of oxygen means that the body must be taught to tolerate the oxygen diminution, and to that end time must elapse before more blood corpuscles appear in the blood to carry the oxygen, and the ventilation of the lungs must be increased. That may possibly provide the explanation of why American and South African Rhodes scholars coming to Oxford seldom produce anything like their home form until their second and cfte:ri their third year of residence at the English University. There is one somewhat unusual use of An Unusual heat that has come to my notice recently, in Use of Heat connection with shot-putting. It is well known, of course, that in wintry weather the coldness of the shot itself constitutes a handicap to the athlete, who cannot get in that .,final small, but absolutely essential, flick of the wrist and fingers at the instant of delivery if his hand, and hence the muscles of his forearm, become really chilled through handling a perishingly cold shot. · At Cambridge, however, they have thought out a means of circumventing this disadvantage, and in cold weather the r6 lbs. shot used at Fenners is immersed in a bucket of boiling water until it is warmed right through and so retains its heat pretty well during a whole contest, or it can be re-warmed if necessary. The plan is as simple as it is ingenious, and certainly serves a most useful purpose.