Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-27
Danger in S Sewing Machines.

The frequency and character Of the
hurtful effects of sewing machine
work have been investigated ut DIFF
fercnt times by medical observers
here and abroad, but never SO sat
isfactorily rs in L report of the State
Board of Health OF Massachusetts,
embracing wide range of careful
inquiry. From this il seems evident
that existent uterine and ovarian
maladics are almost invariably ny
uruyated bv even occasional eNcrtion
mt the machine; that such Inaiauics
are commonly induced in the deli
cate by steady employment of this
sort; and. even As regards the strong,
that "this unnatural movement o'
the feet upon the cid trcadle TOR
eight or nine hours daily tends 10
produce in n large proportion of
women fatigue, pain, and cramps III
the limbs, back and loiEs, the de-
gree of which will depend upon the
phvsical capacity of the individual
aud the material which is being
made up. If this labo: is persisted
in. the result is that a physical de-
tcrioration may he induced, the COLI
stitution being insidiously weaken
ed. in which condition certain
specjfic diseases, particularly those
| neculiar to women, may be develop
ed and aggravated by the abnormal
amount of blood forced into the pei
vic organs. or if 10 special disease i
developed their reduced condition i:
made manifest by the decided man
ncr in which trivial illness affect
! thcm.'
To obviatc these difficulties steam
mower bas been introduced i'll many
| factories where numbers of seW'n.
II achincs are kept run. ing, and Will
highly beneficial results; but th' II
still remain to be provided Tor th'
weary hundreds whose toll Is per
formed at home. For these Va.i"u
cXpcdicnts have been devised. firs'
notifications of the trcadsc, whereof.
the power might be applied with les
fatigue: then an eicctro-iiihgheti
motor of ingenious coa>tfhcllni'
but snmwlat above tie Ken ol IN
uuphilusophical, IL series oi radii'
tin" "ciectrU-migncts being CONNECTED
with Il oalvanic battery, the cu:rciI
from which is alternately interrupted
and cur,pleted bv the revolution
the shaft; and last. but not least,
to, like steam cmgin" which coui
+ be carried in ones porkct, anu YET
. capable of gcnsrating a SurpriSin
/ amount of forc". This lI!ipu'ian e'
ginc-which may be seen III lnde'i
+ tiyablc operation III n Broadway sh"
window just above Thirteenth stree
derives its steam through n s'na
inGia-ruhber tube from halt-%allo
boiler. leated bY gas jet or kcrt
= scue flame. the pressure being SO tr
: fling as to involve 10 risk of cXpi'
sion. a wire from the throttle vai'
- is attached 10 the treadle, by meal
: of which the power may be re%ui
:. ted. from the slowrst rate of motIo
!, ND to speed unattainable by NUM-:
muscles, its oscillations being ai'no
p too rapid to be counted. Sihip'
= safe. easily manageable and apple
, BILE to any pattern Of sewing machi;
y this very ingenious invention may
regarded rs Il sanitary improvclne'
:. of no small importance, and so'e'!
- such we call attention to 1T, the pa
=, cntce's name or his business arrin4
mcuts being unknown to us. b
,s from n purely sanitary point OF VIC
:, W. believe that any mechanical c"
I triyancc to dispense Win inc inc'
!. sent strain of the sewing macni
unou 4 certain set of muscles w'ii
=, ou ;mestimailc boon 10 II vast nu'
- Lnr nf women whose health is gray
- iv ieopar,lized by the present mode
,nar.tiuT.