Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-02-18
TROLLEY HEART.
A New Disease That L. Now Prev
alent in Chicago.
Riding on the Platforms of the Electric
Cars Productive OF Serious Dis-
orders vibration the
Cause.


Chicago is afflicted with the trolley
heart. Her people have a new kind of
palpitation to deal with. Physicians
say that in time it may prove danger
ous and end in genuine heart pdlpita-
ton. The rapid Introduction of the
trolley cars to Chicago's street railway
system is the cause of this new disease.
and indirectly the officials of the diff
ierent street railway companies may be
said to have unwittingly given it to the
people. The trolley heart, as tile doc
tors call it. comes from the iolting and
shaking which passengers on the cleo
tric car receive when they sit at either
end of the ears or stand IN one of the
platforms. The disease is less notice
able in passengers who sit down than
i'm passengers who stand up. 1t is also
"a fact that the motorman on an electric
car is rarely troubled with it, while the
conductor is a constant sufferer.
The trolley ears are $ o constructed
that when in motion they nave a pecul-
lar see-saw vibration. They rise and
fall. whether the track is rough or
smooth. like small waves on the sea
shore. This motion is not irregular.
but constant. 1t might be said to be
rythmical. 1t is felt as strongly on the
rear end of the car as in front. The
only part Of h car where a passenger
will not notice it is in the middle. and
many worthy citizens who have been
Affected by the trolley heart now make
vigorous effort while riding 10 he in the
middle.
After the car is started and under full
way the rocking motion is communi-
Gated to the passengers through the
feet. 1t passes from hence through
the entire nervous system t. the heart.
That organ. which had previously Ieen
moving along in a natural way. begins
Immediately TO thump loudly. Its ac-
ton is accelerated to IN unnatural de-
gree. and il 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 the attention of the ply
stefan.
NhiNdSo > CtttTiC thTS dTC bill uIon
such dwarfed plans that the average
passenger going to work and coming
home on them rarely expects to get a
seat. He stands up and gets the full ef-
feet of the cars motion, producing. as
he doctors say. the severe shock To his
nervous system if he travels any dis
lance. II is not a fact. the medical au-
ihorities claim. that the system be
ZONES accustomed to this kind of treat
ment. Instead. strong resentment is
shown To il. and the protest takes the
form of heart paplitation, which con-
iinucs after one leaves the car.
Motormen escape the trolley heart
because when on the car they have two
objects with which they steady them
selves. and in reality become n part Of
the Il itself. The motorman's right
hand is always on his brake handle. and
his left bard is on the controller. with
which he applies the power or shuts il
off. He is really braced against all
shocks and in hat way escapes having
the trolley heart. The conductor. on
the other hand. has nothing with
which To brace himself. He is moving
through the ear constantly or standing
On the rear end. and, az a rule. has To
see his physician about once a month in
order to have his heart regulated.
DIR. j. Frank Hubert. who attends To
the ills of the men employed by the Chi
cage City Railway company at it's
Sixty-ninth and Halsted street barns,
said:
THE trolley heart is an actual thing
~ ,.r y,sr aal x,.th ;a.-u,.al
electric car service is likely to make it,
self very apparent among the people
who travel much. I fine the street
ear men who are my patients frequently
suffering from it. and have 10 treat them
for n palpitation Of the heart that is
aggravating and painful. do not
know any way for passengers to avoid
it except to sit in the middle of the car.
which all cannot do. OF course. if the
street car company geared their cars
differently. and if pneumatic springs
could he used. then the motion would he
overcome and the trolley heart he only
a Joke | I'm afraid it will be a long
time before that happens. though" II
this trolley heart becomes an epidemic
one can imagine that among the dam
age suits of the twentieth century
brought against stree railway com
panies many will he for heart palpita.
tion.-Cbicapo Times-Herald.