The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-06-26
THE PRICE OF PROGRESS.

As every rose has its attendant thorn
and as every pleasure in life its concomi.
tant plan so every aid to more civilized
existence brings with it some new i'll.
To steam locomotiOn is attributed two
diseases unknown before the intrOduc.
ton of that means of public comfort and
convenience.
Railroad spine has been a familiar
maladay for some time, and railroad kid
ney, disease much resembling Bright's
disease, but due to conclusions received
on railroads is more recent malady.
From the excessive use of the tele-
phone is derived a curious disease, in
some respects a form of asemasia, a
volitional overstraining of certain pow
ers by which we perceive spoken words
when we cannot see the speaker or per-
ceive his gestures or the movement of
his lips; thus creating confusion of ideas,
general nervousness, and lack of self
control. Certain of the senses are de-
velOped at the expenses of others, the
natural equilibrium being unbalanced.
From the same source too, we get tele-
phone tinnitus, aural over-pressure
caused by the constant strain of the audi
tory apparatus in persons who use the
ear continually, the ear becoming intOl-
GIdllU Ol lllc UlIlklb u IHG DGll,
Ophthalmia photo-cectrica is an in
flammation of the eye in persons en-
ployed about electric lights, and is caused
by looking at these brilliant lights a
short distance away. A succession of
over the visual field. and at night there
is inability to look at light without pain
and profuse flow of tears; the eyelids
are swollen and the movements of the
eye painful.
From electricity too, come electrical
sunstrOke an affliction that attacks those
who are exposed to the intense rays OF
the electric arc used in fusing or welding
metals, protection against this being
afforded by wearing a mask of gray taf.
feta and gray eyeglasses.
In return for the convenience of the
telegraphy we have to pay tribute in the
form of the telegraphers cramp and the
professional akinesia which are of the
same order of Affections as the writer S
or the violinist's cramp.
The ordinary telescope vision is a dis
ease by which the visual field is limited
concentrically, and the sufferer can final
ly see nothing except that which is di.
rectly in front of his eye, this condition
being due to the lack of nutrition of the
retina or to some disease of the petiph
cry. An affection of vision similar tc
the telescope eye may also be produced
by the action of quinine
Fads and follies contribute their share
of ills. From the compression of the
nerves of the foot by wearing tight shoes
comes MortOn's toe. The cigarette be
sides sending many to FOOLS grave and
preparing others for life course in the
idiot asylum gets in its fine work further
by causing many cases of chronic catarrh
To end up with comes the tennis elbow
and the base ball shoulder whose Origin
is self-explained.
Only few of the evils which progress
stirs up as dust by his spinning chario
wheels have been given. Hospital rec
ords show many more, and as men be
come more, and as men become more in
genious and multiply devices for com
fort disease will still be found following
closely in their tracks ready to take it
royalty from them.-TrOy Telegram.