San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-04-25
PROFESSIONAL MEN.
ADVICE TO THOSE PURSUING A
SEDENTARY OCCUPATION.

Synopsis of a Lecture by Professor Fran
els Minot-What Is Shown by Statis-
tics-Origin of Diseases-Brain Work
and Health.
Professor Francis Minot lectured re-
Gently at the Harvard Divinity school on
the health of professional men, The lect-
ure included three topics: The actual
condition of the health of professional
men; their peculiar disease, and the best
mode of doing professional work. Under
the term professional men, we include
physicians, lawyers, clergymen, writer's,
scientists and teachers.
DR.. MinOt said the health of profess
siOnal men ought to be as good as that of
other people, for they had good shelter,
good food, and were not exposed to eX-
tremes of weather and noXious surround
ings, and were not tempted to dissipation
and excess. This inference was shown to
be correct by statistics. Longevity was
not always attended by good health, but
old age was generally the reward of a
healthy life. Statistics of the age at
death of over 200, 900 people in Massachu-
sets showed that, while the average of
all was about so, the average age of pro-
fessional men was a little over SO, includ-
ing actors and photographers. OF real
professional men the average age was
about SO; of judges, 66, of clergymen, 60;
of professors, SO; of physicians, 81; of
lawyers, over Of.
A DIFFERENT RESULT.
Statistics compiled in England showed
a different result, for while clergymen
were there also longer lived than lawyers
or physicians, physicians were the short
est lived of professional men. During
three consecutive years the death rate
among physicians was 26 in 100; among
lawyers, 20, and much less among the
clergy This difference was remarkable.
1t could not be explained by the irregular
life, lack of rest and overwork of medical
men, for those conditions applied to Amer
lean physicians, and was probably due to
the fact that many English doctors spend
years in India, whence they return with
impaired health. There was general re-
semblance in the mode of living of law
yers and physicians; they were obliged to
exercise more and there was more variety
in their lives than in those of clergymen
and professors. The great longevity of
ministers must be attributed to modera-
ton, temperance and freedom from anX-
iety as to pecuniary matters
DR. Minot then reviewed briefly the ORR
gin of diseases in general, and said many
of them would disappear as soon as their
causes became known. The danger to
the health of professional men lay in their
sedentary life. They should warm their
studios and offices with open fires rather
than with furnace heat, and supply less
oxygen in consequence of greater rarefica-
ton of the air. Good hygienic conditions
in their houses was next in Importance.
Bad drainage caused typhoid fever, pneu-
monia, diphtheria and blood poisoning
No drainage or sewer pipes should have
indirect communication through other
pipes with the interior of sleeping rooms.
Next to drainage the care of the person
was of greatest Importance. Sponge baths
every morning were advantageous to those
whom the practice did not injure, and
daily moderate exercise was necessary.
Professional men often suffered from
what was popularity known as biliousness,
which was due to insufficient exercise in
the open air; from this i'll lawyers and
physicians were freer than clergymen and
writer's.
WORK. AND RELAXATION.
From work professional men gained
their livelihood and their happiness, and
the question was, How can one do the
most work with the least injury? The
work should be uniform as regards hours,
with intervals of relaxation, during which
the mind should be completely withdrawn
from ones work. There were many in
stances of the beneficial effects of this
alienation of employment Sir John
Lubbock was al active banker and MEM