The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-28
AILMENTS OF MODERN LIFE


in Their Train =. The ''TrOlicy
FO0t,'' Telephone Ear,'' "Bicyc'e
TOe'' and Telcgrapher's and Type.
writer's Cramp.
From the New York Tribune.
Just as the inventive genius of the
age has forced novelties into the high
er professions. and the expert mechan-
ic finds his field growing larger con-
tinually, so the physician sees new or
special diseases confronting him re-
suting 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, "and railroad spine.
'housemaids knee engineers ear and
painters collie are designations which
would probably never have been given
to certain complaints If they had not
been suggested by laymen. OF course,
there are scientific names for all" he
added, but they are not used except
in medical literature, and then they
are not 50 expressive. What Latin
scientific term could properly express
'policeman's sleep that condition be-
tween sleep and wakefulness when Il
man may stand or walk and still he
unable to see a side door onen or to
hear the growl of the growlcr?"
THE TROLLEY FOOT.
Among the new maladies which the
physicians attribute to recent mechan-
ical and scientific inventions is the
trolley foot" The mOtorman on cleo
tric and cable cars rings the warning
gong by pressing his foot upon n knob
or button. and it is said that the con-
stant pressure produces an alment
which had never been known until the
new cars came into use.
In the first place." said n motorman.
lit wears out the shoe quicker than you
have any idea: but that's the shoes
fault. Then, tapping the knob pro-
duces tickling sensation at first, and
then the food gets inilamed. OF course
we know that it can't be anything
serious. and keep right on kicking the
thing. and after few days the intlam-
alton wears off. the skin gets hard and
we think it's all over and that Wen
have no more trouble. But that's Il
mistake. Shooting pains and nervous
twitchings follow. and these are worse
when one is off duty then when kick
ing the gong 1t was explained that
in most instances the difficulty wears
away, hut that trolley foot had
causmed many men to quit the service
of the railroad corporations.
THE TELEPHONE EAR.
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
a lI 10 nf l,n inc vt
but the unnatural use of the organ
frequently causes nervous strain.
which is reflected in the aural nerves.
When asked about the cure for telc-
phone ear an biologist said:
Il have never seen 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-
pear
Bicycle back and bicycle toes are
among the ills which are charged to
the improper use of the bicycle. "Thc
man or woman" said a physician, "who
doubles uD on n wheel cannot escape
the bicycle back if he lives long
enough, and the coward on a bicycle
Is AIT to contract the bicycle toe
which results from curling up the foot.
1t is strange thing" he added. "but
1t Is true that the nervous rider, who
constantly thinks he is about to tum-
BILE. will have exCruciating pains in his
toes after a short ride, and he will he
troubled in 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 n
natural consequence. The men who
work in mines and who are compelled
to stoop for 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"
Tcl"graphcr's Cramp is another one
OF the modern complaints. 1t results
from the manipulation of the telegraph
ic key, and affects the sufferer in the
same way as writer's cramp. The fin
gers 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
telegraphers cramp, but as both hands
are used i'm writing on the machine. so
both hands are often involved in the
abnormal condition.