Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-08-16
RAILROADING.
A Veteran Surgeon Says il is not a
Healthy calling at Best, What must
n be Under Increased HardshIpsg

u
A veteran railroad surgeon has given
to reporter his views of the tax upon the
human mind and frame of the calling of
the railroad man. From his views it is
learned that the ayocation at best is not
healthy one. What must it be there
fore when increased hours OF labor and
mileage are imposed such as has been
the case with freight engine crews on
the Rock Island road recently? The
surgeon alluded to says:
From all have seen of railroad en-
ployes / cannot say that railroading Is,
generally speaking. a very healthy occu
patton. One might naturally suppose
that because railroad men are so much IN
the open air they would be strangers To
disease, but such is not the case. | am
not speaking now of the yard men or of
the track men. Except that they are
liable to get run over or crushed between
the cars or be subjected TO accident of
some kind or another, there is nothing
in their mode of life that makes their lot
different from that of the ordinary out
door Ia borer 1t is of the train men
the engineers and firemen or brakemen-
of whom | speak particularly, and
my practice among them has
taught me that their occupation
is particularly trying on the nervous
system, and is one which anybody de
string a peaceful and happy old age
| should avoid, The strain on them does
not begin to make itself felt for several
years after they enter upon their work,
and if thew left off then possibly they
| would experience no i'll effects from their
mode of life ANY man, though, who has
any respect for his nervous system will
| not keep at the work longer than ten
years, at least without taking long and
| frequent rests. Ten years steady work
| at railroadin9 is enough 20 make the most
robust constitution feel exhausted. At
ter that trainmen are subject To fits OF
WEAKNESS and iassitude, which, if not re-
lieved by long rest. are likely to become
chronic, and the victim will speedily de-
velop into a constant sufferer, for whom
there is no cure on this side of the grave.
Their ailments are mostly of nervous
description, but of course, disease
will develop itself differently IN diff
ferent constitutions and temperaments
Locomotive engineers are very prone
to insanity. After long and con.
slant service they are subject to hal
lucinatIons and alterations that are prob
ably due to a sort of cerebral irritation
consequent on the constant strain tC
which their duties subject them. Tn,
same cause results in the loss of the powe
of hearing and of sight IN many of them
The exposure to which they are subjected
also makes them very liable to rheIma
tism and pneumonia. and others are seiZeI
with violent pains in the limbs, and other
again with muscular feebleness. En- j.
neers have frequently shown themselve
to be perfect heroes in the face of DANCE
and death. They have often stood a
their post when by doing so they mus
have known that escape for them wa
impossible. and vet the peculiar menta
state which is developed from long con
tinuance at that particular employment j
one which results in excessive nervous
ness and morbid sensations of fear An
man who wants to live long and happil
had better choose some other Occupation
than that of trainman.