To persons of advanced age sport may be very pernicious, for here the elasticity of the arteries is wanting; they are more rigid, and consequently cannot so readily dilate. Overexertion in such cases may lead to the gravest results. As those engaged in sport lose a large quantity of fluid, they soon feel thirsty, and so may be inclined to make up the deficiency of water in the blood by partaking of alcoholic beverages, such as beer, whisky, or wine; and if such are taken in large quantities, necessarily further dilatation of the heart and blood-vessels will result, as is usual from the frequent use of large quantities of liquids, not taking into account the mischief caused to the various organs by the alcohol. As a general form of exercise sport in moderation can be beneficial to the heart. Naunyn has shown that blood-pressure falls from continuous exercise, and Masey has also demonstrated this on galloping horses. The best form of exercise is walking or moderate climbing. Moritz has shown that after exercise the volume of the heart is diminished, and the rate of the pulse increased. There are certain sports which do not require great bodily exertion, and these are, in consequence, less harmful to the heart. Take, for example, horseback riding, which produces a more or less accentuated rhythmic shaking movement of the body. In a particular style of riding called “the English trot,” the body rises and falls at regular intervals, which causes—as we noted in our own person—free perspiration; the circulation, especially in the abdominal organs and lower extremities, is also promoted. We consider riding to be one of the most beneficial kinds of exercise. We frequently note the healthy appearance of horseback riders (except jockeys, who are underfed in their training). A well-known member of the medical faculty in Berlin, a world-renowned specialist, was a great horseman. He took part in the last Medical Congress in Dresden, coming on horseback through the pouring rain from Berlin. Possibly his good health was due to the vigorous exercise of which he was so fond. By a strange irony of fate, this enthusiastic admirer of riding died in consequence of an accident caused by his automobile a short time ago. In certain kinds of sport, such as riding and cycling, the greater possibility of accidents is a drawback, and in nervous individuals serious traumatic neurosis, and often diabetes, may sometimes develop, particularly in those cases where such people are descended from diabetic parents. We published a case of this kind some years ago. For such people this kind of exercise should be prohibited, especially in those descended from diabetic parents. Cycling has the additional drawback, according to Zunz, that from it fatigue is not so soon felt, and thus overindulgence may more easily occur.