The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-18
NOISES DRIVE MEN MAD
TJMULT OF TOWN ONE OF THE
REAL CAUSES OF INSANITY.
Delicate Pulse Machines to Record
Eject of Noise on Nervous System
Laws Against the Din.


unusual untimely and preventable noises
can be suppressed, and the law, as rule,
always is the side of the plaintiffs in
such cases. With all the legal restrictions,
1t cannot be doubted that there are many
needless noises in cities-noises which cause
insanity and death. New York State rec
ognizes the danger and has equipped the
State commission in lunacy with means to
investigate At. The department charged
with this work is the Pathological Institute,
at the head of whose office in New York
city is DR.. Van Gieson.
While instruments are in use in the insti-
tute for recording the effect of noise on the
nerves, investigation of the effect on the
brain cells is in parliamentary state. The
retina of the eye can be examined much
more easily than the auditory apparatus.
Animals have been experimental on to
show the effect of strong light and of rap
idly shifting light But closing the ear of
an animal with wax and trying on the other
the effect of exaggerated noise, then
comparing the condition of the brain cells
on opposite sides of the head that have to
do with the auditory nerves, has not yet
been attempted
Whatever is lacking in this direction, the
instruments for measuring and recording
cate and certain. This department is in
charge of DR.. Boris Sidis. He has half
dozen instruments, one of the most inter
esting of which is the sphymograph, or
pulse writer. 1t is attached to the wrist,
and has tiny pendulum, the swinging 10
and fro of which corresponds exactly to
the beats OF the pulse. A bit of clockwork
unrolls q strip of smoked paper on which
is written, by wire fastened to the pendu-
lum, the variations of the pulse When
the Str1D about half unrOIled, in the
experiment made for this article, the sub
ject closed his eyes. and a noise akin to
the beating of cymbals was made in his
ears. First on one side and then unexpect-
eddy on the other, the brass pans were
beaten. Careful examination of the strips
show that when the noise was fairly under
way fatigue began, the heart had to make
more of an effort to do its work, conse-
quently the vertical lines indicating the
beats were higher, and at the same time
the beats were farther apart, indicating
that the pulse was slower
WEARS OUT THE NERVES.
No machine exists without friction, and
no life exists without the element of noise.
The noise that we hear and do not appre-
ciate becomes a part of our subconscious-
ness. That which we do appreciate tires,
and, il a-Loying enough in time will cause
far more violent results. certain amount
of violent noise can be endured in conuec-
ton with ones daily work, but at night the
tired nerves must recuAerate. This oppor-
tunity in sleeping hours must not be denied
If health of mind and body be maintained.
Some people, whose nerves are subjected
to undue wear and tear, resort to strong
drink. This stimulates them for a time,
but IT really does more hurt than good, for
1t wears out the tired nerves faster than
ever. AT night morphine, cocaine, Sulphon-
al, trional, bromides and other sleeping
medicines are taken Even absolute quiet
at night cannot always WOO sleep for
wasted nerves. and the effect is a thousand
fold worse when the night is as noisy as
the day. The effect of these drugs taken
in the succeeding generations. Not in dis
eased nerves. perhaps, for the modern the
DRY says that not diseases, but the predis-
position to have them. are hereditary. That
predisposition may be altogether absent in
the immediate succeeding generation, and
may show itself in the next.
The income of specialist in nervous dis,
eases depends upon the amount of deleteri-
Gus noise his patients have to endure; And
In general 1t can easily been seen that a
quiet street will bring less money into the
doctors pocket than jangling neighbor-
hood.
There are three ways, in New York State,
at least, of proceeding against the pro-
ducers of unusual noises. The ordinances
more or less stringent, against noises dam
gerous to the health of the community In
nances the boards of health usually have
the power to proceed against common-law
nuisances, which include ear-splitting
SOUNDS. And, lastly, the penal code offers
means to prosecute makers of noise when
such noise affects a large number of peo-
pie and thus becomes general nuisance.
mander of the Salvation Army, was con-
vtcted for working the bands and lungs of
his people far into the dawn.
REGULATING HUCKSTERS.
The open-window season has begun when
the crying Of hucksters and peddlers is
moro noticeable than in the winter Differ
ent cities have different regulations cover
Ing the sale of goods from wagons through
the streets. Buffalo, for instance does not
allow the hucksters to begin until / o'clock
in the afternoon. This was framed not so
much to protect the people from noise as to
protect the corner grocer from what he be-
lieves to be undue interference. New York
places no limit on when a huckster shall
begin to SELL but it does say that he shall
not cry his wares before s o'clock in the
morning or after o'clock at night, except
saturday night, when he may cry till IL 80.
And the metropolis further says that no
huckster or peddler shall use any instru-
ment OF music or noise to call attention to
his wares. Clothesline men, peculiar to
New York fiat life, cannot enter yards to
call attention to their presence. Hand or
gan men are restricted in all cities. In New
York the closed hours are from z D. m to
a. m. and all day Sundays. They are NOT
allowed to come within $50 feet of any
dwelling If requested not to do so The
regulations upon the discharge of firearms
and fireworks are probably as much for
other considerations as to limit the noise.
All cities of any size have common nui-
sance in the carting of steel rails through
the streets without taking the care to
deaden the sound. The uproar is uncon-
ceivable to one who has not heard it. AS
far as the street railroads are concerned
most of the RELYING and repairing of
tracks is done attnight and so it follows
that when the tired people need rest and
as much quiet as the courts decide gre
garious man to be entitled to have these
maddening sounds split the midnight air.
New York made q heroic effort few years
ago and imposed a. fine of $25 on these
rest breakers.
What city ordinances generally do not
say regarding undue noise would give a
wide field for versatility were 1t not for the
power lodged in boards of health. BY the
New York sanitary code the health board
Is empowered ~ abate as a common-law
nuisance anything that is detrimental or
dangerous to life or health. The five thou
sand complaints that this board receives
each year run all the way from a crying
oaDy TO pounding steam engine Daytime
noises, except in extreme cases the board
does not feel that it can prevent
SOME REGULAR NOISES.
Ten O'Clock at night the board considers
the limit of reason in working the piano.
and regular infiction until midnight calls
usually for interference. The kicking OF
horses in the stables the crying Of cats
and the barking of dogs in flats, as well as
their voices in the back yards o. nights.
are subjects of frequent complaints. The
typewriter, too, has figured as an offender.
the man below declaring that its vibrations
were felt plainly on his floor. Then there is
the crazy walker, who PAGES the floor heav-
lily, and the singer who is having his or her