The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-02
Rirblnnn1 8!spatrt.
rhe Sl.ves AZ Civilization.


interesting article suggested by an exam'ns'
ton of various works. relating TO mortality In
The trades and professions, from which the
New York Commercial has extracted IN the
subjoined syuopsis many important 'aee.--
Tho result of Investigations made In England,
,ntn the condition Of the iaborin9 classes~-not
,,ar.lv those who labor in the dark places nn-
dor the earth but those who are engaged in the
processes by which articles Of taste and luxury
are prepared-wiil BIZ startling TO all who sur
rounded BY the appointments of easy life, have
given no attention to the multi!orm perils
which environ those by whom 'hese appoint
mcnts are supplied. The mirror which
fleets our feat lures. and the glazed cards which
we leave on our friends, give no token Of the
trembling form Of the ar,ificer, poisoned by
mercurial fumes, or paralyzed by the hazard
Gus toll by which he sought TO earn his liveli-
hood. The porcelain vase on the maniel Is OF
rare beauty, but it has In fected the clippers"
hand with a disease which will destroy its
cunning. All this suffering proceeds, the WORK
man fails out OF the ranks, and another rises
to take his place reckless of the fate that awaits
him. and gratiiied with the increased cempen-
sa,ion awarded to his labors.
In this day of "silver forks it will be sur
prising to know that more steel forks than
field These forks, and needles also, are
ground upon dry stones. the grinder necessa-
rily sitting In the posture best adapted 10 NIL
his lungs with the fine dust and to wound MS
sensitive eyes with the steel sparks. The dry
fork grinder averages % years, and thus ex-
rmpliies nj an early day the solemn ritual
"dus, TO dust" Some dry grinders wear spec
tacles and these are often found flecked with
bits of steel, which. when red hot, penetrate
the glass. This same dry-grinder, in order to
give the smoothly rounded back TO a razor or
scissor blade, sacrifices his health and lie
to the unimpOrtant difference b+tween the
straight and the curved line which he FORMS
The statistics of Sheffield show that the as
cending grade Of longevity is in direct pro-
portion to the amount OF water used on the
stone the strength and age of the grinder being
considered. Yet. we are informed that mat
ters are not so bad US formerly. The intro
duc,ion of fans to blow the dust away from
the stone, OF magnetiZed wire screens for the
face, aud the general adoption OF the "beard
movement" by workmen mature enough to
raise these hirsute apperdages, have added 70
the length Of life. Still, the grinders say " the
trade is bad enough as it is and if the men
lived longer, il would be so overfull that there
would be no such thing as getting living"
Now, rs TO the miner-one OF the Ho,o~ per
sons in Great Britain, who enter the bowels
OF the earth at morning and emerge at evening.
Beneath the soil he works-the very in
dustrial Atlas of England-sustaining the
wealth and greatness of that country which
without its coal and iron, its copper and
tin, and its giant machinery feeding upon
them and reducing them to new forms,
would not enjoy its present proud pre-
emlnence. Here, in these cold dark mines
the IN ner tolls. cramped in position, till " the
Apoilo-like form Of man becomes permanently
twisted and bent, like the gnarled root of an
oak, which has been doubled up in the fissure
of a rock" In these galleries two feet high,
pursuing the vein OF metal or coal, and pick
ing At the side and top, the collier lives his
life of toilsome constraint, knotting himself till
AN erect position is a punishment to him
Foul air surrounds him e-damp blasts him
TO a cinder, or choke damp nOiselessly blots
out his life. A single blow of the pick may
let In upon the collier an invasion of either
one of these damps, and the pit mouth may be
crowded with a " wailing multitude of newly
made widows and orphans Thus 900 lives,
and 1u,UM accidents annually attest the dan
gerOus nature Of this vocation.
In England the mortality among miners
from accidents alone, ia is TO the thousand !;
in Stafierdshire alone 73; while in Prussia it
is only 80, and in Belgium IS. Then add the
diseases caused by deprivation of light and
air, by the foul breath of the caverns and Of
the decaying tmbers in them and by the VOL
umes OF coal-dust taken into the lungs
When the collier dies, his lungs look as il
dipped in black ink. The dry-griEder has a
similar lung The average OF sickness among
golfers between the ages of 20 and 81, is e. per
cent. more than the general average. Yet the
coal mines can be ventilated at IA cost of Il
penny per man per day. This ventilation will
save ten-fold its cost in the increased labor
done by the golfers, and the preservation OF
the wood "battrices' in the mines. In the
Cornwall mines, the WOrkmen, after a day of
toll, are obliged to climb ladders for many
hundreds OF feet to reach the mouth Of the
PIT. This is eq ual to the labor Of ascending Il
mountain.
All trades that are carried on in dust ar.
more or less Immediately productive of dis
ease. Millers, masons, brckayers, snuff
makers, pearl button makers, preparers of
hair, flax heaters, and many others, all su fer
from diseases peculiar in many OF their symp
toms and effects to the special trade, but bear
ing general family resemblance.
Strangely enough, one of these curious and
patient Investigators of health finds that
scavengers and chifOnniers are remarkably
healthy. Human life meets filth nowhere
more closely, vet the Investigation finds them
"a healthy looking, rudy complexioned race
wearing their natural rouge under their arti-
fetal tint. The Impurities with which these
people come in contact are, however, in the
open air, and moreover, the power of ashes to
absorb n0xious emanatiOns must be consider
ed. But scavengers are usually exempt from
febrile complaints. 1t is known, too, that the
occupation of tanners and workers in Oil, and
of bu tchers, has a certain exemption from pull.
monary complaints Some curious fact are
entOned bv the Review in this connexion,
which We must omit.
The luciter match maker with his cadaypr-
Gus complexion, emaciated form, and necrosis
OF the jaw. Is another instance of the slavery
OF civilization. Phosphorus in one form SO
essentla to bone. is, i'll the fun Of the match
factory, destructive TO it. The chemist brings
his results TO bear here, and it is found that
this match making proceeds, absorbs the mis-
ChievOus vapor.
The glider Of metals and the coverer of mir.
rors are other sufferers. While the process is
going on, the workman is invested with mer-
curial fumes his body is spot ted with metal
literous particles, and he becomes a shattered
human creature, with trembling muscles,
brown visage and blackened teeth" The belle
who surveys her wondrous beauty In the
glass would tart back in horror if the vsage
of this victim of luxury and vanity should but
appear in dim shadow far down the depths OF
her clear reflector.
A large contingent to the army of death, is
furnished by tailors, bakers and milliners in
large cities. They are mostly killed by want
OF fresh air which does not reach them in their
constrained position or in their confined or
heated rooms. The story of sewing women
need not he told here. Their snferinss are
elements OF our advanced civilization us we'll
as that OF England. And from the very nature
OF the case, their wants and perils are NEST
familiarly known, bat known only to be pitied
or 0isregarded.
CVEK FOR BONE FELoM-Take a piece of
rock salt about the size of a butternut-wrap
II In cabbage leaf If to be had if not, in q
piece OF wet brown paper, and cover it with
Goals. as you would 10 roast an onion. After
AZ has been roasting about twenty minutes
take 1t from the fire and powder il very fine
NIX with As much common soap as will
make salve. Ii the soap he not pretty
stIong OF twrpentne-which may be known
.ne smeil-then add \ little turpentine
Apply me salve to the part affected. In
the Course OF lew hours-sometimes in n fay,
inihu'es-the pain will be relieved After this
isuppurauon take place, it must b. treated
ike common sore.
ShuhOh misunderstanding to the
Cnureh Almanac for lsGU. the EpisconaI
~. nu'cn IA the United States contains 80 do.
Seses. Inc number Of bishops. uroyisionsI
RESISTANT hns 40.