Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-14
A PECULIAR THEORY.
One Doctor Holds That Rough Streets
Cause Nervous Diseases.
RUMBLING NOISES RESPONSIBLE.
Some Experiments With Tuning Fork
for an Illustration.
GOOD PLEA FOR BETTER PAYMENTS

In a chat with DISPATCH reporter yes.
terday, a prominent physician of this city
opened up a new field of discussion about
the proper kind of pavements for city to
use. Among other things he said: ut is
generally conceded among medical men
that the greater prevalence of nervous dis.
eases among city dwellers, as compared with
those who live in the country, is due in a
great measure to the constant noise and
rattle of the city streets, caused by wagons
rumbling over the cobbie or granite block
pavements."
as another peculiar fact, he affirmed that
| the ears of the city>man are not SO acute as
those of the man who lives in the country,
all because the ears of the former are con-
stantly subjected to din similar to that in
boiler works, made by the rumbling
wagons on the rough streets.
To corroborate his first statement he said
that he was now treating a brother physi-
clan, who blames his trouble, which is SINH
lar to the condition known as railway
spine," to the constant jolting and shaking
incident to the making of his daily rounds.
He has had to give up his buggy altogether,
until the city will pave the streets with as
phalt or substitute that will insure easy
riding.
HE HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
DR.. Ayres, a specialist on nervous dis
eases was interviewed on the subject, and
said that in his practice he had not come
across any cases in which the disease was
first caused by the noise named. However,
it was possible, and he had not had his at
tention directed to this cause before.
1t was fact, he said, that where person
was in any way predisposed to nervousness,
the noise OF the streets aggravated the dis
ease, or complication of diseases, and from
a small beginning often left the patient in
serious condition. He has been studying
this feature of street noises, but has not
gotten far enough in his studies to say that
the rough pavement is primary cause.
In his experiments he uses an instrument
resembling a tuning-tork, little over a
foot long AS heavy mill wagon went
rumbling by he called attention to the fact
that the vibrations could be felt in the feet
and head by leaning the Uranium on the
back of d chair.
EFFECT AN L.
Striking the tuning-fork on the floor, he
then put the handle end on the back of the
reporters head, and run it up and down the
spine, when the same sensation as that from
the rumbling wagon was felt, though in
creased in volume. Putting it on the feet,
the same thing was repeated. The office
being back from the street, the vibrations
were weakened to that OF the tuning-fork |
when struck lightly.
WHAT OTHER DOCTORS SAID.
Several other doctors were talked to on |
the subject, but, while agreeing that the |
rough pavement was potent factor in the |
prevalence of nervous diseases, they refused
to allow their names to be mentioned. Cases
of railway spine," caused by the constant
shaking locomotive engineer has to en-
dure, were mentioned as showing the result
of shaking when it becomes violent. Some
Of them were in favor OF asphalt pavements,
and others were little chary of it, as they
said its durability had not been assured.
All agreed that some pavement with the
smoothness of asphalt must be put down in
the cities or Americans will become as nerv-
Ous as Frenchmen
When the vibrations of the fork are in
creased in number it produces peculiar
sensation of light pain or weariness found in
nervous persons. If a person has some dis
ease OF the nervous system and the fork is
applied to the part, it is like biting on an
liberated tooth.
The changing of the register bell in the
street cars, DR.. Ayres said, also had a great
endency to aggravate nervous diseases, and
ne says it must be abolished as necessary to
he perfect health and bodily comfort of all
citizens.
Said one physician: "If all the streets
we've paved smoothly like the eastern end of
Forbes street the entire city could be washed
very night by opening the ireplugs, thus
clearing away the organic matter which, if
Illowed to remain, forms nest for the
breeding of disease germs. With the stone
'lock pavement the crevices catch all the
lirt and organic filth, and here disease
,erms breed, it being impossible to wash
his filth out of the crevices."