The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01
Oyerwork and Underworld.

| so much has been written on the subject Of
ovcrwork, that we give place to paper or
the other side of the question, by DR.. Samuel
WilKs, Physician to Gays Hospital Lon
don:
The amount of work which each man OF
woman is capable of performing is dependen,
on their temp erament and especial powers
and can be gagged by their individual ca
pacitfes. There are some young men whose
brains are so weak that they cannot bear the
pressure which is put upon them by little
sustained thought. Every year see one or
two medical students obliged to leave their
chosen procession and devote themselves to
an outdoor active life. Apart, however, from
these individual cases, which must be judged
on their own merits, am anxious to know
whether medical men generally accept what
seems to be very popular opinion of the
day. that society at large is really suffering
from an amount of work, physical and men
tai, which is injurious to the individual, and
therefore 10 the human race. That an opin-
ION of this kind largely prevails ] gather
from conversation, and from the public prints
but lately saw quotations from the sermon
OF we'll known preacher, in which he de-
clared that our asylums were filled with mad
people owing to the overweight state OF the
nervous system In the present hard working
age. Now, if the question be put thus broad
ly-Are people suffering from overwork?
for one should have no hesitation in answer
ing NO; BOT, on the contrary, If both sexes be
taken, l should say the opposite was nearer
the truth, and that more persons are suffering
irem idleness than from excessive work.
Medically speaking, see half a dozen per-
sons suffering from want Of occupation to
one who is crippled by his labor. have,
therefore, very little sympathy with the prev.
alent notion taat nervous and other diseases
are due TO overwork and, as regards the
statement of the preacher above mentioned,
apprehend he never thought Of testing the
truth of 1t by visit to the public asylum, for
he might then have been impressed with the
sight of the numbers of the lower classes and
the altogether unlettered persons confined
therein.
AS regards the community generally, or at
least those OF its number who come before
the medical man on account of their ailments
my belief is that the explanation they offer
arises from delusion; and amongst girls,
SO far from any studies or other work being
injurious, could instance numerous cases of
restoration To health on the discovery of an
occupation. Very often, when business
man complains Of being overdone, il may be
found that his meals are very irregular and
hurried, that he takes no exercise, Is rather
partial To brandy and soda, and thinks il not
improper TO half poison himself with nico-
tine every night and morning. The lady in
the same way eats no breakfast, takes glass
of sherry at eleven O'Clock, and drinks lea all
the afternoon; when night arrives she has
become ready 10 engage in any performance
10 which she may have been invited When
the man OF business presents himself with his
nerves really overstrained, he Is found 10 be
a man of delicate or actual insane tempera
ment The rule, however, il that when a pa
tent comes before me with mis- nerves up
strung, hypochrondriacal, and goes through
the whole machinery of his body 10 inform
me of lis working, previously committing all
the facts To paper lest an important one be
forgotten, tkat man Is getting rusty from
having no occupation. II is generally ad
mitted that amongst men "A want of occupa
tion Is so detrimental that no demonstration
of the fact IS required. They are the bread
winners; and the pursuit after the necessities
of life for ones self and belongings Is believed
To be intimately associated with health. But
II this be physiological law, il is equally
applicable TO women; and il may be shown
that very large number of ailments in gIIls
is very often due 10 the want of occupation or
idleness.
We forget sometimes what formidable
machine Is the animal body with lbs force
producing nervous system. The brain is an
engine ~ nRry horse power; its nergy must
DC accounted iOr in some way; If not used