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This investigation was designed to determine the degree of adaptation of disabled subjects to a permanent wheelchair existence and the following parameters were studied: strength of the m. biceps femoris, integrated electrical activity of m. biceps femoris, heart rate, O2consumption, CO2output, and energy expenditure. It was found, that heart rate and electrical activity were lower at any level of strength in the disabled group so that it can be assumed that wheelchair-bound subjects are adapted to their disability.

In this investigation it was tried to evaluate the workload of wheelchair driving in physical units, i.e. watts or meter kg./sec. For this reason an ergometer was adapted so that subjects sitting in wheelchairs with fixed brakes, could hand frank it. They were asked to perform at a standard workload of ½ watt/kg. body weight and at 1 watt/kg. body weight for 5 minutes each. During this time heart rate, CO2elimination, O2uptake, minute volume of respiration and the RQ were continuously recorded or calculated. In a second procedure these subjects were asked to drive a conventional wheelchair 5 to 6 minutes at a convenient speed. During the last 2 minutes the V was measured with the Korfryani-Müller spirometer and samples of expired air were taken for O2and CO2analysis. The heart rate was recorded by telemetry. In a third procedure the subjects drove their wheelchairs for 5 minutes on platforms equipped with rollers so that the above mentioned parameters could be measured continuously. The data collected in the second and third parts of the experiment were projected on the graph of performance of ergometric experiments, and plotted along the X-axis to estimate the workload in watts. By this method it was possible to calculate the physical workload of wheelchair driving within a range of approximately ±5 watts.

Letters to the editor in response to articles published in previous editions of "Time" are presented. Included are responses to an article regarding opium cultivator and Afghan warlord Haji Bashar Noorzai who is currently serving time in a U.S. prison on drug charges.