The record-union., 1897-08-16
AILMENTS OF LIFE.
Mechanical Devices That Bring
Evils in Their Train.

Just as the inventive genius of the
age has forced novelties into the higher
professions, and the expert mechanic
finds his field growing larger contin-
ually, SO the physician sees new or
special diseases confronting him result
ing 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. CT course,
there are scientific names for all" he
added, "but they are not used except
in medical literature, and then they are
not so expressive. What Latin scien-
lists term could properly express 'po-
liceman's Sleep that condition between
sleep and wakefulness when q man
may stand or walk and still 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 is the
trolley foot The mortorman on
electric cable cars rings the warning
gong by pressing his foot upon a knob
or button, and it is said that the con-
slant pressure produces an ailment
which had never been known until the
new cars came into use.
in the first place" said mortor-
xs,7wz
than you have any idea; but that's the
shoes fault. Then, tapping the knob
| produces a tickling sensation at first,
and then the foot gets inflamed. Of
| course we know that it can't be any
thing serious, and keep right on kicking
| the thing, and after a few days the
inflammation wears off, the skin gets
| hard and we think it's all over and
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 than when kicking
| the gong" 1t was explained that in
| most instances the difficulty wears
away, but that trolley foot had
caused many men to quit the 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 fire.
quently causes a nervous strain, which
| is reflected in the aural nerves When
asked about the cure for telephone ear
an biologist said:
Il 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-
pear"
Bicycle back and bicycle toes arc
among the ills which are charged 10
the improper use of the bicycle. "The
man or woman" said physician. who
doubles 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 a strange thing" he added. but il
is true, that the nervous rider, who
constantly thinks he is about 90 tum-
BILE, will have excruciating pains in his
toes after a short ride, and he will be
troubled in that way until he gains con-
hdence enough in himself TO stop the