Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-08-28
NERVES Of ENGINEERS
DOCTORS DISCUSS The
CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS
RailrOading Particularly Hard on
NerveS---Tension Has It's Effect
More Attention to
Temperament.

London, Aug. IA special caDle "
the Sun says: Two or three important
points were brought out at the annual
meeting Of the British Medical Asso-
citation this week. DR.. Alexander Scott
OF Glasgow made the alarming asser.
ton that most railway accidents were
due to neurosis OF railway men. caused
by the nerve tension OF their duties.
To prove this he cited many cases
which had come under his own obser.
walton.
A man who had been promoted from
fireman to engineer soon complained Of
dyspepsia. The usual remedies failed
and he sent the man to a consulting
physician. The latter also failed to
cure the man. Then the engineer went
through q whole course OF quack medi-
cine without any success. II was only
after big smash-up on the railway.
as a result of which the man was dis
missed, that he finally got well. He
had simply been suffering from nerv.
Gus tension.
Another man who had been working
on farm became a railway servant
and afterward a signal man. The nerv-
GUS tension was so great that Il
brought on headache, WEAKNESS and
insomnia. He ultimately recovered and
10 now an excellent workman. but not
a signal man.
Another case cited was that OF a sig.
nal man who was found on the floor
In commissions. When he was able to
speak he said he never entered the sig
nal box without feeling that he was
on the brink OF a precipice and tina,
some day a disaster would occur.
Another man who put in the signal
box after doing general railway work
developed an acute mania In the form
Of an affection Of the nervous cells.
DR.. Scott referred to the Slough ac-
cident. In this case the engineer de-
clared that he did not know how he
had run past the danger signal. The
jury found that the engineer had been
afflicted for a moment with alteration
Of the mind. yet this same man had
conveyed over 150,OOO.OOO passengers
without a single mistake.
Turning to the question OF driving
electric cars DR.. Scott stated that a
Glasgow man who was used to driving
| horses was put on an electric vehicle.
He caused a smash-up In which one
person was killed and several injured.
1t was proved that The man had not
tasted drink aifrthe case was one OF
nervous tension.
The doctor thought II was time to
consider whether more attention
should not be paid to the temperament
OF railway men and he deplored the
fact that the medical profession was
so poorly represented nj inquiries In
regard to the causes of railway acct
dents.
The association also discussed the
question OF provision for wounded men
In modern naval engagements. Owing
to the alteration In the construction
OF ships the old arrangements under
which the wounded were carried to the
cockpit cannot be continued and, In the
opinion Of Fleet Surgeon Kirker. the
most humane course, now adopted by
the French and japanese, is to leave
the wounded sailors where they are
until the action is over and men can
be spared to carry them in ambu.
lances, which 1t will take some me-
chanical skill to devise. The wounded
are as safe on deck for short time as
elsewhere and modern wounds do not
cause dangerous loss OF blood. I,
Is essential however that each shiI
should have an operating room which
at present is not included in the &C.
cepted designs.
1t appears that the general health OF
sailors on warships is good, iron be.
Ing much better than wood for santa.
ton. but some improvements are great.
ly required.