Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1892-03-14
A NEW DISEASE.

the past few years, and 1t has increased
with the use of typewriters in all de-
partments of commercial and profess
Sional work, ... ..
1t usually begins with a slight but
persistent headache. Then gradually
the memory fails, SO. that persons af-
fected become absent-minded TO such a
degree that they are scarcely to be
trusted alone. Dyspepsia, with all it's
horrors, follows, and finally the patient
becomes untitled for all mental exer-
ton.
This is description of typewriters'
insanity given to a reporter of the New
York Morning Journal by Dr. Charles
Higgins, of Brooklyn. who has had
several such cases under his charge.
THE disease is as real as writer's
cramp," the doctor said, although
when its cause was first suggested to be
the use of the typewriter it was
laughed at as absurd. People laughed
ut writer's cramp in the same way
twenty years ago"
How can the use of typewriter
cause dyspepsia" asked the reporter.
well, to explain that" said the doc
tor, 81 should have to go over all that
we know OF that marvellous telegraph
plant which every human being carries
about with him, known as the nervous
system. Specialists who have studied
nerve diseases discovered years ago that
tuere were what we now know as re-
tlcX actions. That is, that condition
which affects one portion of the body
produced similar or opposite effect on
another portion, just as a telephone
wire is made useless by the induced
current from an electric light wire.
Perhaps the most familiar example of
this l. the fact that piece of grit or
dirt in an eye will cause the other to
smart and become infamed through
sympathy"
Here the doctor produced diagrams
OF the lscyboards of half a dozen of the
prominent makes of typewriters.
Now, as you see" he went on,
these kcyboards consist of round or
hcXagonal keys, about half an inch in
diameter. They are white with black
letters in the center, and they stand
out against the black background.
Many of these keyboards are eighteen
inches long by u foot deep and most of
them are larger than the page of an
ordinary book. Now l will make little
diagram to slow you where the great
strain on tie nervous system comes
fvora."
Here tl:e doctor drew rough sketch
OF the h; man eye in section and of the
keyboard of popular typewriter.
"Ycu can easily see that in the eff
fort 70 perceive all the keys at once,
Wien working rapidly, the eye endeav-
rs to- adjust itself to focus that will
over the entire key board. But this is
apostolic, so the mirror at the back OF
the eye. called the retina, is constantly
changing the lenses III front Of the eye
So that it can get the objects distinctly
impressed upon it.
I'm the diagram have only shown
four different focuses" continued the
doctor, but when you multiply them
by the number of keys on the four rows
i!nd count that the spaces between the
Keys are aboub an inch lower than the
tops Of the keys themselves, you can
Imagine the vast number of focuses that
reach the eye and the amount of work
the lenses of that delicate organ must
NO to keep pace with them.
prof. Hayes, the expert of Phila:
dclphia,," DR.. Higgins went on, %has
estimated that ip. five hours work on a
typewriter an ordinary expert operator
will have to change the focus of the
lenses Of the eye at least forty-seven
million times!
Now, the, human eye was never. in
tended to. do this" asserted the doctor
land the stEain on the little muscles
which move these lenses is cnor
NOUS. 1t soon has a reflex action or
the nerves and this finally irrItates the
Train to such degree that it produce!
typewritcrs' insanity"
"Is. there no cure for this, trouble
GoctorP" asked the reporter.
''Oh, XqsH' he rcioined "Isesa will ei
feet n perfect cure, and sometimes
pair OF eyeglasses, suited to the eye
that are naturally perfect. afford
great relie$"
"Conld you suggest any improvement
in typewriters TO lessen the strain o