Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-04-22

From the American Medical Monthly.
Whatever concerns the health of large classes
is Of Importance TO physicians-of much greater i'm
pOrtance in fact, than that which concerns lndivld
uals. With this idea we are accustomed to look into
mpny things which have no direct connection with
drugs end which promise TO prevent the necessity Of
physicians services rather than TO enable him 20
cure his patient when sick To such subjects we
have sometimes alluded in these pages, and propose
20 continue 70 do so from time TO time as occasion Of
fers In class have felt deeper interest than
in those who sew, whether for maintenance or in
the ordinary occupations Of family in moderate cir
cumstances. Hoods song Of 80 The Shirt, - recalls
10 every physician practising in a city many pa
tIent for whom God Is paymaster, whose whole life
has been drained by the terrible necessity Of earning
q living by the needle. Early and late by day and
by night without rest without recreation they have
struggled for bread with such toll no day-aborer
knows. And when the dim light and constant use
have caused the ewes TO fail or disease has assaied
their lungs or attacked their blood, they have not
been able to pause in their work. for starvation was
just behind them. They could not afford the time
20 be sick-thev could not stop to be cured. Those
In favor ed conditions affected; perhaps not
to the same extent, but yet gravely. The motherde
sires her daughter to be industrious, and enjOins
upon her the necessty-for such it has been to all
but the wealthy-Of sewing neatly and diligently
In the country especially have we seen girls sit
sewing, sewing, sewing all day long when they
should have been employed in other duties which
and amUsements which are necessary for the proper
development Of the mind and the avoidance of that
asceicism which is unnatural as 1t Is unhealthy. We
have often forbidden girls from fourteen TO eighteen
years, TO than short time each day, if at
all and have had great difficulty in enforcing obedi
ence for the reason that they could not be spared
from the work OF mothers thought us over-nOtional
Still the fact remains, that TO the memorable needle
consumption is indebted for many Of its Victims
while, If not cOnquerOr crooked spInes, sde-ache,
arrangement Of the stomach withJs attendant evils
following IN its train make their lives miserable,
which an early death does not cut short
These things have all been brought forcbly TO
mind, We have from time 10 time seen advertise
meats Of ssrjEg machines, and heard persons dis
course Of their merits. Noticing sign of one Of
these manufactures in Broadway, one day when a
little leisure was upon our hands, determined TO
what had been done, and if there really any
promise Of relieving women from this injurious toll
and confinement. A little trOCk, which were
shown full of folds, (which we are assured are tech
uicay called tacES, and eNQusItey stitched We are
something of a c0unoisseUr in stiIGhiugl, reminded
US of poor patient who, with her infant was only
saved from absolute destitUtion by stitching, labor-
ously and slowly, with her needle, such garments,
for "a wealthy tradesmau TO sell Charity, at last
had to save her life We could hardly believe that
over all this beautiful work there was sigh of IA
ticue poured out that no eyes had ached with their
weary watching that this might be done. But so it
was The machine shown TO us we saw It
and know there no longer leel lor Le1lIh
TO be broken down by sewing. Consumption ought
no longer TO be allowed the needle for its agent
IN thus causing death.
The establishment into which we strayed was that
in which are sold the machines Of MessTs. Grover
and Bakers patent, and the yarSty Of styles some
twenty In number and adaptation to all kinds Of
work surprised us. Either for wooden, for linen,
for cotton each and all of them, they admira-
bly, in fact perfectly adapted. They are of q size
to be transported easily in travelling, or they are
arranged an elegant piece Of furniture. They
used en- the plantations of the South for making the
coarse clothes of the outdoor slaves they are used
at the North for making the beautiful dresses of the
bellies They can be managed by negroes, and 1t
seems to be rather amusement than task for Ia
dies to use them. But we gave up all our notions
that work could be done by hand so as to be hand
some. stronger CrmOre permanent and then enqulr-
ed concerning the position in sewing. The foot
moves the machinery; the body Is nearly erect both
hands being alike used for guiding he work. Here,
then Is done away all the use OF the right hand, as
Yin drawing through the thread, and all the COnse-
uuent tendency detormity and injury from curva-
ture of the spine. The position LETT nothing 10 be
desired No dust Injuries the lungs. The time re-
ouired bears no comparison to that Of ordinary work,
and we were much impressed by the evidence given
0v one woman who owns and has long used one
Instead Of tOiing all day, says she, "wth the
needle now do a day work in a few hours Of the
morning and have my afternoons for recreation and
reading just think of that. and when we next
prescribe iron for the pale girl who is compelled to
sit and sew all day let remember also to order one
Of Grover Bakers machines in the morning and
a romp out of doors in the afternoon. How quickly
will blooming cheeks take the place Of pallor, and
how happy shall we be when we look upon our pa
tent healthy robust woman INSTEAD Of the pale,
nervous. dyspepric hypochohdriacal thing that she
otherwise will become. Il viii be worth whole bags
full of fees Perhaps shall seem to some, too en-
tbusiaslic but we are sure we are not; and it Is
matter we urge upon the attention Of practitioners in
CITY and country. A careful examination will COL
vince them that we are right