The sun., 1901-08-04
RAILROAD MEMS NERVES Fail.


Ciasssw Expert cites Csss q ne An,
nuai Meetins q ths Bsitish Medical
Asss0atisn-T Tempceament q
Employees ohsald 10 Considered.
spetns CsAs DapsieA 10 Tzs sun.
LONDON. Aug. s.-Two or three important
points were brought out at the annual
meeting Of the Bhtish Medical Association
this week. DR.. Alexander Scott Of 0las-
gov made the alarming assertion that most
railway accidents were due TO neurosis
OF railway mon, caused by the nerve tension
OF their duties. To prove this he cited many
cases which had como under his own OBJ
ssrvation.
man who had been promoted from
fireman TO engineer soon complained OF
dyspepsia. Tho usual remedies failed and
hs sent the man TO consulting physician.
The latter also failed TO euro the man.
Then tho engineer went through . whole
course Of qusok medicine without any suo-
csss. It was only after . big smash-up
on the railway. - result Of whioh The man
was dismissed. that he finally got we'll.
He had simply been suffering from nervous
TENSION.
Another man who had been working
on . farm became . railway servant and
afterward signal man. The nervous
Tension was 20 great that Il brought on head
ache. weariness and insomnia. He ul-
timately recovered and Ia now an excellent
workman, but not . signal man.
Annkhnr osao rkt>d that - q "A Al
man who was found on tho floor In oonvul-
sions. When he was able TO speak he said
he never entered the signal box without
feeling that he was on the brink OF preci-
pice and that some day q disaster would
occur.
Another man who was put In the dgnal
box after doing general railway work
developed an acute mania In the form Of
IN affection OF the nervous celia.
DIR. Scott referred to the Slough aooi.
dent. In this case the engineer declared
that he did not know how he had run past
the danger signal. Tho jury found that
the engineer had bean afflicted for Q mo-
ment With alteration OF the mind, yet
this same man had conveyed over 10000
900 passengers without single mistake.
Turning to the question Of driving electric
cars DR.. SCOTT stated that q Glasgow man
who was used to driving horses was put on
an electric vehicle. He caused smash-up
In which ono person was killed and several
injured. It was proved that the man had
not tasted drink and tho case was one Of
nervous tendon.
The doctor thought II was time to oon-
slider whether more attention should not
be paid to the temperament Of railway
mon. and he deplored the fact that the medi-
cal profession was 90 poorly represented
at inquiries In regard to the causes Of rail-
way accidents
Tho association also discussed the
question OF provision for wounded men In
modern naval engagements. Owing TO
the alteration In the construction Of ships
tho old arrangements, under which the
wounded were carried to the cockpit. can
not b. continued, and, in tho opinion Of
Fleet Surgeon Kirker. the most humane
course. now adopted BY the French and
Japanese, u to leave tho wounded sailors
where they arc until tho action ID over
and mon can be spared 10 carry them In
ambulanoes, which It will take some me-
chanical skin TO devise. The wounded
are as safe on deck for short time AZ else-
where, and modern wounds do not cause
dangerous loss OF blood. 1t Is essential.
however. that each ship should have an
operating room, which at present Ia not
includAd In the acoapted dasiuns
1t appears that the general health Of
sailors on warships is good. iron being
much better than wood for sanitation,
but some improvements are greatly re-