The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-22
AILMENTS OF COOKS.
Diseases to Which They Are Peculiar
ly Liable and Their Love of Drink.

Diseases to Which They Are Peculiar
ly Liable and Their Love of Drink.
From the Journal des Economistes
Parisians as well as foreigners who
take their meals in the sumptuous and
more or less gilded restaurants of Paris
seldom give a thought either to the
places in which they are prepared, the
dishes served or to the professional mala.
dies OF most of those who prepare these
dishes. A study of the kitchens and cooks
of Paris is interesting, because there are
more than $500 of the latter, because they
constitute corporation and are divided
into mutual aid societies. OF very limited
dimensions, the kitchens of the great res
taurants of Paris are, as a general thing,
situated below the sewers, without air.
without light, except what can be got
from glass lights or openings in the pave
ment. The gas is burning there con-
stantly and causes a heat which, added
to that of the fires, makes these cellars a
veritable place of torture, in which thous-
ands of workmen, dripping with sweat,
pass the greater part of the day in pre-
pairing the dishes which are afterward
served to US.
Examination shows that there are, no
places where more maidens exist than in
Partisan kitchens. Two respectable ply
sicians who attend to the medical service
of the Mutual Aid Society of the Corpo-
ration of Cooks Of Paris ought TO know
something about the matter, and in order
not to be taxed with exaggeration on this
subject we cannot do better than give the
testimony of these medical men. The
cooks of Paris, say these gentlemen, and
net only those of Paris, but also those of
the large cities-for the hygienic condi-
tions under which these cooks work are
everywhere the same-generally' suffer
from alcoholism, anaemia, rheumatism,
liver complaint, pulmonary tuberculosis
besides, nearly all of them have varicose
veins, hernia, ulcers and affections Of the
skin.
These infirmities are so frequent that
1t has been necessary TO change the rules
for admission to the society, those having
the maladies named having been formally
refused admission. The need of being
constantly on their feet as well as the
heat Of the fires, softens the tissues and
dtlates the veins. In order to endure
what they have TO undergo and to quench
the thirst which consumes them, the
cooks are obliged TO drink, and, as barley
water or water mixed with wine or coffee
does not strengthen them sufficiently, and
as, moreover, the stomach is disordered
by emanations from the gas and coal. they
take alcoholic drinks, vermouth. absinthe
and an endless series Of bitters. Once
started on this road. the cooks become
either alcoholic or dyspeptic, the liver is
attacked, vomiting and chronic diarrhea
are frequent.
The sud den variations of tempena ture
70 which these men, Of from q TO 30
years, are exposed on quitting the range
70 go outdoors or 10 the refrigerators pre-
disposes them TO rheumatism and
phthisis. Finally we allude TO the burns.
the willows, the chaps and alterations OF
the hands, which are customary with
oishwashers and potcleaners, 10 point
out that such affections are very difiicult
70 cure.