Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-04
CHE ROCKING CHAIR HsRJT
one Cause of Nervous Prostratjop
Among Women, Says n Doctor.

From the New York Sun.
You must give me something to helm me
doctor you really must" said the woman
| patient why, I'm a total wreck I can.
sit still a minute. I'm on the verge of mos
tration.''
She swayed istlessly back and forth in
the leather chair as she spoke and looked
at the doctor helplessly. He nodded grave
ly.
yes. I see'' he said. your nerves arc
in terrible condition, and no mistake
wonder" be added, after moments re-
Election, what portion of the day -.oII
spend in swayng backward and forward
as you are doing now?"
The rhythnlcal motion of the woman'S
body ceased and she stared at him in sUr-
prise.
why my 1and!' she calculated. what
question! ] don't do this any of the time
at home. I don't have to- We have rock
ing chairs there The latter statement
was made somewhat spitefully. but it jfi
not Tease the doctor
so | supposed" he said. coolIy land
I've no doubt that you have often felt Ike
denouncing doctors soundly for not having
a goodly supply of them in their Offices for
the accommodation of nervous patients"
The woman started up the pendul I'M like
motion again. Well" she returned II
must say it would be good deal more
comfortable than having to sit in ona OF
those straight. uncomfortable things
uncomoiimentarv reference to his office
chairs. or whether he had been whatting
himself NJ tOsthe point where he could give
her sharp, professional talk. g would ha
impossible to say. but certain It is his lee
ture broke loose then with vehebienca
Nov. see here he said ~ have sores
of women patients lust like vnil. They
come in here and tell pne all about row
their nerves are frazzled into striays. AMI
they CAN'T sit down. and they can't stand
M. and they can't walk. nor eat. n1.- >leen.
nor do this, that or the other thing oh
they're in a terrible condition. We'll. that's
right They are in a bad fix. And so YOU
want to cure Won? Well, Tn wiling.
but you've got to do your part Ynu cam
not very we'll remove these denlo~ahle de-
fleets without roofing out the ca ;ee and
YOU can't dig out the cause without throw
ing away rocking chairs. oh. yes I moan
IT: throw away the rocking chairs They
send more women to the grave and the
insane ASYLUM each year than all the sew
ing machines in the United States They
are at the bottom of more than half this
nervous trouble YOU women are always
complaining about, and if 7 had my way
fully two-thir1S of the rockers that now
kindling wood. and three-fourths of he
factories that are now turning them out
bv the hundred would be shut down. Fec
Dle who have never given the matter
thought have no idea how much energy IS
wasted in keening a rocking chair on the
go. The pretty, graceful things move very
easily. ADMIT Delng the best substitutes
for perpetual motion yet invented bat for
all that they eat up a vast amount of
strength in the course of dav. that might
well he turned to more useful and less
harmful ends. Why. pity the person who
suffers from the rocking chair drunk as
much as do the toner who burns his gull
let out with whisky
The sufferer from nervous prostration
suddenly found her voice at this point
"Oh doctor" she protested, don't put 1t
that way. Don't say we get-get drunk
1t sounds disgracefu1"
''Does it." said the doctor calmly well
unfortunately I always did believe in call
ing things by their right names. and that's
what it really amounts to. I can tell neo-
pie who are addicted to the rocking chair
habit the minute I clap eyes on them, and
I honestly think they are the most nitiable
objects I find in days journey. They are
ever restless and fidgety and IN at ease,
and when deprived of the chair their dis
tress is manifest. They simply don't know
what to do with themselves. Take YOU
yourself, now, for instance. You can't sit
there for five minutes without getting I'D
the rockfng-chair motion. Now l am in
earnest about this. If you want to get well
you must give up your rocking chair lust
as a drunkard gives up his whisky If you
do that you'll come out all right rock
ing chair may be restful and helpful IN to
certain point, but if taken to excess it is
bound to play hob with the nerves sooner
or later"