The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-09-15

The Evil Effects Upon the Health
Destruction of Hearing Powers.

The Evil Effects Upon the Health
Destruction of Hearing Powers.
While the disagreeable nature of dust has
been pretty thoroughly realized by every
body, the science problems connected with
its distribution are only beginning to be
understood by the popular mind. Professor
Tyndall long ago warned us that the great
atmosphere or ocean, at the bottom of which
we live, is "a stirabout of minute particles F"
The sunbeam streaming into the darkened
room reveals the NOTES and atoms that
dance in the track of the light rays. Into
our lungs aud stomachs we must perpetual
ly be inhaling this floating material. II
consists largely of mineral particles, of the
shreds and debris of our clothing, of
minute plants and of living germs. From
the floating matter of the air come the
moulds which vex the heart of the house.
wife, who sees her jams and iellies covered
with the blue growths; and from the at
mospheric germs comes other living parti-
Giles which sour our milk and spoil our
cheese. So, also, TO living +" dust I" we owe
the spread of infectious disearse. These
spidemics are literally carried by the air in
he sense that their germs, derived from
pre-existing causes, are allowed through
Ignorance or carelessness to pass into the
atmosphere instead of being disinfected and
destroyed neck and crop. Thus, beside
being a social plague, dust becomes sani-
tary nuisance. Still more clearly is this
latter phase of its action seen when we re-
dect that to the dust inhaled by needle
grinders, stone masons, coal miners, flour
millers, hairdressers and workers in other
trades vast amount of lung trouble may
be traced. Science has done much, il il
true, in pointing out remedies for the evil
effects engendered in the pursuit of such
avocations; but science will require to do
still more the plague of dust at large can be
lessened or abolished. In the summer the
dust nuisance will again force itself upon
our attention with particular force.
If dust is u nuisance of the first order,
noise may be ranked ON equal terms with
the floating matter of the air. Here we
approach topic which, in its relations to
personal welfare, possesses deep interest
for every dweller in the city. From the
rattling and jarring of cabs and vans, and
the noise of the train, to the barking of dogs
and other sounds that render repose and
peace of mind and body impossible the
lweller in the busy h,unts of men can
scarcely be said TO live an easy life. Few
realize what noise really means and i'm
plies. There is disturbance, not of ears.
but really of brain and nerves, involved in
the persistent rattle of existence by which
we are surrounded, and nervous ailments,
physicians tell us are either produced or
rendered doubly severe through the con-
tinual tension thus produced. A recent
English communication from n medical
source on the impairment and destruction
of the hearing powers of boiler makers and
riyeters, who spend their lives amid an
incessant noise of hammering, brings home
10 us few startling facts regarding the
possible effects of the din and roar of dali,
life 1t has been nscertained That in due
time these artisans become SO deaf that they
are compelled TO give up attendance Mt
churches, meetings, theatres, and other
places of mo.al Improvement or enjoyment.
A hundred men were examined as TO the
perfection of their hearing. Compared with
the natural standard, it was found that
these boilermakers possessed only nine and
ond-half per cent. of auditory powers The
ticking of n watch, which TO the normal and
sound ear should be audible thirty-inches of,
was in fifty cases not heard at oil or was
appreciable only when the watch was held
in contact with the ear. A whisper, audible
to sound ears say twenty yards off, was not
heard by fifty-nine men with either ear, or
only indistinctly, at distance of yard.
Twenty-one of the subjects were absolutely
deaf to any public speakers voice, however,
close they might be placed to the platform
ffty-four heard such speaker with diff
'ulty and only twenty-five could appreciate
MS words naturally.