El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1896-12-18
MODERN MALADIES.
Mechanical Devices That Bring
Ills in Their Train.
The Trolley Foot Telephone Ear
bicycle Toe" and Telegraphers'
and Typewriter's Cramp-A
Painful List.

Just as the inventive genius of the
age has forced novelties into the higher
professions, and the expert mechanic
finds his field growing larger con tinu-
| ally, so the physician sees new or spe-
cial diseases confronting him resulting
| from new conditions in modern life.
| These new diseases receive names from
the lay world which are adopted by the
scientific people.
THAT has been done before, though,
said a physician, land railroad spine,
| 'housemaid's knee engineers ear and
| painters collie are deSi gnationS which
would probably never have been given
to certain complaints if they had not
been suggested by laymen. OF cOu- Sc,
there are scientific names for all, he
added, but they are not used except in
medical literature, and then they Hre
not so expressive. What Latin scientific
| term could properly express police
mans sleep that condition between
sleep and wallefulness when a man may
stand or walk and still be unable to see
Il side door open or to hear the growl
of the growler?"
Among the new maladies which the
physicians attribute to recent mechan-
ical and scientific inventions is the
trolley foot" The motorman on cleo
trio and cable cars rings the warning
gong by pressing his foot upon knob
or button, and it is said that the con-
slant pressure produces ailment
which had never been known until the
new cars came into use.
'In the first place." said motorman,
lit wears out the shoe quicker than
you have any idea; but that's the shoes
fault. Then, tapping the knob pro
duces a. tickling sensation at first, and
then the foot gets intiamed. OF course,
we know that it cant be anything seri-
Gus, and keep ri ght on kicking the
thing, and after a few days the infiam-
nation wears off, the skin gets hard
and we think it's all over and that
We'll have no more trouble. But that's
a mistake. Shooting pains and nervous
twitchingS follow. and these are worse
when one is off duty then when kicking
the gong" II was explained that in
most instances the difficulty wears
away. but that trolley foot has
caused many men to quit the service
of the railroad corporations.
Telephone ear. as a result of constant
use of the telephone, has given the ear
specialists considerable work. The
structure of the ear is not in any way
affected by the use of the instrument.
but the unnatural use of the organ
frequently causes a nervous strain,
VI hch is reflected in the aural nerves.
When asked about the cure for tele-
phone ear an biologist said
Il have never seen Il case which was
not cured in a short time after the
cause was removed. When the patient
stops using the telephone the ringing
noises and the headaches soon disap-
I ear"
Bicycle back and bicycle toes are
among the ills which are charged to the
improper use of the bicycle. THE man
or woman" said physician. who dou-
bles up on n wheel cannot escape the
bicycle back if he lives long enough.
and the coward on a bicycle is apt to
contract the bicycle toe which results
from curling up the foot 1t is
strange thing" he added. but it is
true that the nervous rider, who con-
stantly thinks he is about to tumble,
will have eNcruciating pains in his toes
after Il short ride, and he Will be -rou-
bled that way until he gains confidence
enough in himself to stop the nervous
contraction of his feet. AS to the
bicycle back it is simply natural
consequence. The men who work in
mines and are compelled to stoopfor
hours at time have what is known as
miners back which is identical with
bicycle back but while we pity the
miners. we condemn the wheelmen.'
Photographers cramp is another one
of the modern complaints. 1t results
from the manipulation of the tele-
graphic key, and affects the sufferer
in the same way as writer's cramp.
The fingers which are used on the key
and the whole forearm are frequently
made useless. and are restored to a
normal condition only after scientific
treatment by gymnastics and massage.
Typewriter's cramp is much like the
| telesrapher's cramp, but as both hands
are used in writing on the machine.
SO both hands are often involved in the
abnormal condition.-N. Y. Tribune.