Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-12-21
TROLLEY HEART.
A Now Disease That Is Now Pvev-
alent in Chicago.
Riding on the Platforms of the Eleo trio
Cars Productive of Serious Dis
orders - Vibration the
Cause.

Chicago is afflicted with the trolley
heart Her people have new kind of
palpitaton to deal with. Physicians
say that in tine it may prove danger
Gus and end in genuine heart pdlpita-
ton Tho RAPID Introduction of the
trolley cars to Ch.caGo's street railway
system is The causC of this rev disease,
and indirectly til officials of the diff
fcrcut street railway companies may be
said to have urwittirgly given it to the
people. The trolley heart, as the doe
tors call it, comes from the iolting and
shaking which passengers ON the clcc-
tric car receive when they sit at either
end Of the cars or stand on QUO Of the
platforms. The disease is less not!ce-
cElo in pa-.,a GERS who sit down than
in passengers who stand up. Ii is also
fact that ,hc motorman OH an electric
car is rarely troubled with it, while the
conductor S q constant sufferer.
The trolley cars are SO constructed
that when in motion they have rccul-
lar sec-slw vibration. They rise and
fall, whether the tract; IS rough or
smooth, like small waves on the sea-
shore. This motion is net irregular,
but constant. 1t might Er said to be
iythriicnl 1t is fel. ns strongly on the
rear end Of the car as il front. The
only part Of the car where passenger
will not not'ce it is in the middle. and
many worthy citizens who have been
affected by the trolley heart row make
vigorous effort while riding 10 be in the
middle.
After the car is started and under full
way the rocking motion is commune
Gated to the passengers through the
feet. 1t passes from thence through
the entire nervous system TO the heart.
That organ, which had previously Eecn
moving along in Il 'atural way, begins
Immediately to thump loudly. Its ac-
ton is accelerated TO an unnatural de-
gree, and if the passenger IS at all given
TO noticing the action of his heart and
the flow of his blood. he will see that
both heart and blood are doing better
service TO have this experience once
or twice is not harmful But in time it
is liable to grow upon the passenger
and demand tho attention of the ply
sican
Cbicapo,s e1octric co,.o mn, l,il+ ,,~o,.
such dwarfed pIons that the nycroo,n
passenger going to work and coming
home on them rarely expects TO get Il
seat. Tie stands mn and cots the fun Of
feet of the cars motion. producing. rs
the doctors say. the severe shock to his
nervous svs1em if he travels onv dis
tonce II is rot y foc+ tho ,,,5ic,l an
tbor;+;os cI,.,,, +h,+ ~ g,.s+a,,, I,ai
comes accustomed 10 th;s Mind of front
shown 10 If. and thc nrotest tolxes tba
form of heart raplitation. which CON
tinucs after one lenyrs the car
NTotormcn escaDe tbe trolley bport
because when on tbe ear they have Two
objects with which they steady them
selves. and in reality become mart of
the car itself The motorman's riobt
hand is ALWAYS on his brake bondIo and
his left hand is on the controller. with
which he aDplies the mower or sh1rts If
off. He is really braced against all
shocks and in that v;ov escores bovipg
the trolley heart The conductor. on
the other hand has no+birr with
which to brace himself lie is moving
through the car constantly or standing
on the rear end. and as n rule has to
see his Dhysician about once month in
order to have his heart repulated
DIR. ]. Frank Hubert, who attends IN
the ills of the men emnloved nv the CHI