CRAMP.
The muscular contraction popularly known as .cramp is the dread of nearly every swimmer. Nor is this to be wondered at, as so many fatal accidents are attributed to its influence, it is very painful in itself and, when it gets hold on any part of the body, renders the affected limb for the time being powerless.
The attack is generally in one of the legs or arms, and the swimmer may sink if it is very severe and the proper means of getting rid of it are not at once adopted. Very often it is brought on by the bather having gone into cold water after violent exercise, the muscles not having been properly relaxed after a severe or undue strain has been put upon them. It will also attack the bather whose body has been too cold on entering the water, or has given off much caloric in con sequence of having been too long immersed in water. It will often come on should one when cold indulge in motionless floating for any length of time.
One of the most effectual means of getting rid of cramp is to turn on the back, and by a sudden effort to jerk the affected limb suddenly upward in the air and out from the body, pulling it as suddenly back again, and repeating until the pain has gone. If the contraction is in the calf of the leg—the part most generally affected when swimming—turn the toes upward toward the body, hold them so for some seconds, then pull up the leg and kick suddenly out again. This is a painful but very often a successful remedy.
Should these attempts to shake off cramp be unsuccessful the attack must be severe, in which case the swimmer will need all his presence of mind. If a great distance from the shore, let him keep his thoughts collected; avoid all splash ing or violent movements ; turn on the back :nd lie perfectly still. If the pain is felt in either f the legs he may scull with the hands; if in rile arm,. he should kick with both legs, and proceed in the direction of the nearest boat or landing point.
Should the cramp seize both legs, the bather must bring the feet close up to the body in a crouching posture, letting the knees come well up over the body, and scull with both hands.
A friend of the writer's, during the course of a long distance swimming match, swam for the last two hundred yards with both legs severely cramped; while the writer himself has often felt it, especially when floating for a long time, and has succeeded by sudden jerking in sending it off.
The worst form of cramp is that which is felt in the upper body and abdomen. It is very severe and sudden in its action, and good swimmers have been known to sink almost without an effort under its painful and powerful influence. This species of attack seizes the upper part of the body—contracts the chest----which expels the air from the lungs; and the body, thus deprived of its floatative or sustain ing power, sinks like a weight. Bad as is this kind of attack, there is hope when the swimmer keeps calm and retains his senses. The mode of procedure is to keep on the back, endure the pain with as much fortitude as one can command, and use every effort to keep the lungs inflated by taking as long inhala tions as possible. Kick steadily and vigorously, using hands and arms to increase the speed as well as to keep the muscles of chest and shoulders in exercise.
The last mentioned kind of cramp is caused by the arms and upper parts of the body having been kept too stiff and rigid for a great length of time, the muscles of arms and shoulders not having been sufficiently relaxed during part of each stroke.
In every case, when the swimmer has been got safely out of the water, that part of the body which has been affected should be rubbed briskly, and strong spirits applied to it as an embrocation. The rubbing should be kept up till the knotty lumps which are caused by the contraction of the muscles have disappeared, and those muscles have resumed their former elasticity.
Should the patient feel inclined to sleep he should be wrapped well up in hot flannels or blankets, as a means of warding off the attack, which might re turn again in case of chill while sleeping. After a severe attack the limb or part of the body which has been affected will feel pained and stiff for some days; in which case embrocations such as cam phorated oil or ammonia and hot fomentations may be used with advantage.