The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-01-21
MODERN MALADIES.
The "Trolley Foot" "Teiephone Eaf," !"
"Bicycle Toe" snd Tolegraphsrs'
and Typewriter's Cramp--A
Painful List.

"Dicycle Toe" and Telegraphers'
and Typewriters Cramp-A
Painful List.
just rs the inventive genius Of the
age has forced novelties into the higher
professions, and the expert mechanic
finds his field growing larger con .inu-
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 tho
scientific people
THAT has been done before, though"
said a physician, land railroad spine.
'housemaid's 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 sciHntific names for all" he
added, but they are not used except in
medical literature, and then they are
not SO expressive. What Latin scientific
term could properly express police
mans sleep that condition between
sleep and wakefulness when a man may
stand or walk and stil be unable to see
a 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 IL the
trolley foot" The motorman ON cleo
trio and cable cars rings the warning
gong by pressing his foot upon knob
or button, and 1t Is said that the con-
stant pressure produces an .ailment
which had never been known until the
new cars came into use.
''In the first place" said motorman,
"it 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 inflamed. OF course,
we know that it can't be anything seri-
ous, and keep right on kicking the
thing, and after few days the infan-
nation wears of, 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 tho 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 nervous strain,
which is reflected in the aural nerves.
When asked about the cure for tele-
phone ear an biologist said:
II have never seen a 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-
lear"
Bicycle back and bicycle toes arc
among the Ills which are charged to the
improper use of the bicycle. 'The man
or woman" said a physician. who dou-
bles up on 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 excruciating pains in his toes
after a short ride, and he will be trou-
bled that way until he gains confidence
enough in himself to stop the nervous
contraction of his feet. As to tho
bicycle back it is simply natural
The men who work In
mines and who are recompelled to stoop for
hours at time have what is known as
miners back, which Is identical with
bicycle back but while we pity tho
miners, we condemn the wheelnen."
Telegrapher's 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 craunp is much like the
telegrapher's cramp, but as both hands
ire used in writing on the machine,
10 both hands are often involved in the
abnormal condition.-N. Y. Tribune.
A Dainty salad Course.