The humane society movement and the transnational exchange of medical knowledge in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Humane societies emerged in considerable numbers throughout the transatlantic world in the late eighteenth century. These charities promoted innovative methods for resuscitating the apparently drowned, drawing upon advances in the medical understanding of resuscitation and scientific innovations in life-saving techniques. Humane societies constituted a transnational philanthropic movement, in that member societies corresponded with each other and drew upon the work of fellow life-saving charities. Medical gentlemen, especially physicians and surgeons, were at the forefront of this movement and contributed greatly to the foundation of these societies, as well as to the vibrant transnational discourse on resuscitation techniques. This paper will explore the proliferation of humane societies as constituting a transnational movement of voluntary organisations, and will pay particular attention to British and Irish life-saving charities in the early decades of this movement (1770-c. 1820).

The effect of a gluteal activation protocol on sprint and drop jump performance.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the acute effect of gluteal activation exercises on 10 m sprints and drop jumps (DJ)s performed on a force sledge apparatus. METHODS: Twelve participants completed pre-tests of 10 sprints and 10 DJs with one minute recovery between sprints or jumps. For the 10 m sprints, contact, flight, 5 m and 10 m times were recorded using an Optojump Next system. For DJs, height jumped, contact and flight times, Reactive Strength Index and peak forces were recorded via a force-sledge system. In the post-tests, the participants completed a gluteal activation exercise protocol immediately before the sprint or DJ tests. Results were analyzed using an adapted typical error method and repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: The repeated measures ANOVA found significant performance related improvements in 5 m and 10 m sprint times, flight and contact times for each step and significant improvements in all jump measures (P<0.05). By contrast, the typical error method showed relatively few instances of potentiation and no clear patterns of fatigue followed by potentiation across all participants in sprint and DJ performances following the gluteal activation protocol. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that gluteal activation exercises do not produce a consistent acute performance enhancing affect; however, their role in injury prevention is unclear.