Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-11-17
work and Idleness.

An interesting paper by DIR. Samuel
Wilkes, physician to Guys hospital, has
lately appeared in the LdHcet, on "Life
at High Pressure" and the effects gen.
erally of the oyerstrain to which public
and other men are often exposed in
these times. Without entering on par
ticuIar cases, each of which must be re-
garded on its own merits, DIR. Wilkes
declines to admit the truth of the COM
mon impression that disease and death
are making splendid haryests out of the
oyerwrought bodies and oyerstrained
nerves of large numbers of persons. He
saws, Elf the question be put broadly,
Are people suffering from overwork: :"
/. for one, should have no hesitation in
saving. no: but, on the contrary, if both
sexes be taken, | should. say that the
opposite is nearer the truth, and that
more persons are suffering from idleness
than from excessive work. Medically
speaking, | see half dozen persons
suffering from want of occupation to
one who is crippled by his labors." In
the case of girls, instead of work being
iniurious, he says he could instance
numerous cases of recovery on the dis
coyery of an occupation. Let girl
nor with useful work, sine falls into bad
health, becomes a prey TO her own
powers and every function of her body
is damaged, as well as her moral nature
perverted. These cases are very diff
cult of cure; mothers are terrified TO
let their daughters do anything, they
are so delicate, work would kill them !;
what they need is doctors visits, physic
= IL
quite remarkable what delicate young
lady can do under the power of stimu-
liant. He relates, for example, that a
gentleman had lately expressed his sur
prise to see how his daughter, who could
not walk many yards for long time,
owing to pain in her back, was soon
able to walk several miles a day when
she procured the support of lovel S
arm. DIR. Wilkes says that ne would
gladly give employment TO the half mil
lion of unmarried women. The human
body is made for work; the amount il
can do is proportional to the power OF
the machine; but unlike other machines
b il can be kept in yigor only by use; IL
is sure to rust and decay from disuse.
These views are of supreme Importance
at time when growing wealth is 50
quickly adding To the number oi those
10 whom work is not a necessity a
well-known writer on the poor some
time ago divided the community into
four classes-those who can't work,
those who won't work, those who dc
work, and those who don't need to work
These last are apt to be supposed the
happy few, and many is the effort made
to get into the favorite class. Science,
however,, is reversing the popular inn
preston. We are learning from eX-
perience what was so long ago shown
in the case of Sodom, that fullness OF
bread and abundance of idleness are toe
often the parents of grievous evils.
Better to wear out than TO rust out
is finding a new verificatlon. If it were
for nothing higher, our flower missions
and similar good works are doing inn
portant service TO the health of many q
hitherto unoccupied girl. The dignity
of labor is receiving fresh illustration,
and we may quote with increased con-
fidence the lines of song of labor:
60 while you feel tits hard to toni
And sweat the long day through.
Remember il Is harder still
To have work TO dO''