The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-12-04
Effects OF OYerwOrk.

The deleterious effects Of overwork are
strikingly evinced in public document
which has lately been published in Eng.
land. It appears that in the factory dis
tricts there has been u falling-otf to the
extent Of 10 per cent, in the various dis
eases tC which the operatives are subject
since the hours of labor were reduced to
ten day, instead Of twelve or fourteen,
which Mr.. Bright and other mill-owners
insisted they should be. Measles, how
ever, smallpox, fOyer, erysipelas, or
rose, influenza, dysentry, cholera ENG
lish), and rhematiSm still prevail there to
m alarming degree, and they are at.
tributed to not less fatal cause of dis
ease-Oea-r0Udinqj it being found that
the deaths in factories exceed those in
the mining and ironworking districts,
Notwithstanding the heavier particles Of
injurious matter which operatives there
inhale, and even OF seamen, in spite of
all the external dangers which the latter
are exposed to. A vitiated atmosphere
has more to do with ill-health than ex-
posure, and hence bakers aud furnace
men are found to suffer most severely.
Contrary to what might be supposed,
the country is found to be more un.
healthy than the towns. London is now
one Of the hGalthiest places within the
British dominiOns, and this is attributed
to its containing few or no factories.
Even Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle,
and similar seats OF labor are more salu-
brious than the rural districts, but this
is, perhaps, to be attributed to their
superior drainage and tho higher wages
which operatives there enjoy. 1t has
been found that, in these, the working
classes die chiefly Of tubercular diseases
such as bronchitis, pneumonia, blood
splitting and other affections Of the
chest. The laborers in the country, on
the other hand, are more subject to ma
laria, and fevers, ,and-singulnrly enough,
considering the scanty food they enjoy
arrangements of the stomach and diges-
tive organs. Engine.drivers and their
attendants fall most easily prey to dis.
orders of the nervous system-a result
clearly traceable to their inordinate
hours OF labor; and in this respect they
are followed by publicans, bakers,
tailors, painters, glaziers, porters, mes.
sengers, and heavy outdoor, unskilled
laborcrs, with all Of whom labor is un.
certain and protracted. Accidents are
found to be far less numerous, in pro.
portion to population, in London and
the large towns than in the rural dis.
tricts, the mining, however, being in
cluded in the latter-the proportion hay.
ing been nscertained to be 10 per cent.
in tho one instance and % in the other.
But on tho whole it has been found that
accidents have been diminished and
health increased in proportion as the
hoHrsof labor were reduced, and the
bodily powers as well MS mental energies
no longer ovcrstrained by the excessive
hours Of labor it was hitherto been Gus.
tomary to exact from them, the report
concluding with the words: "Thnt il
the people in towns worked shorter
time, and lived under more favorable
sanitary conditions, and the people in
the country had more to eat, good deal
of disease would be averted and many
lives would be saved till old agc."-M
Y, PdDer,