The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-03

| also play an important part in produc-
| ing the symptoms, for they reflect the
| noise and cause sound waves to rever-
| berate back and forth many times, thus
| greatly increasing the evil of a single
discordant sound on the ear. The ca
pacity of the city streets for trans
| hitting and intensffying sound is
| shown in the great distances at which
the rap of a policeman's club on the
pavement can be heard. The person In
the street surrounded on three sides
by solid walls is in the position of the
boilermaker who hammers rivets on
the inside of the boiler, so far as in
tensifcation of noise is concerned"
Primarily noise of itself will not
cause insanity" says DR.. NJ. L. Alexan-
der. but with one of a highly nervous
temperament or on the verge of dis
traction, or a person just on the point
of becoming insane, noise would I'M
doubtedly hasten acute mania. II
man were exposed to series of blows
on his body in a walk through the city
he would call for the interference of
the police. but he is helpless against
the shock upon his brain through
noises. 1t is generally admitted by
physicians and believed universally
tfat ircessant action on the auditory
apparatus is adding to the amount of
IuCHldl dISlut DdDCc, IlOW 81 Tdpluly Oh
tie increase.
Philosophy of Noise.
In the course of an interview yester-
cay on the subject DIR. ]. Mount Bleyer.
ali expert and writer on sound. said:
The harsh, disccrdart noises of New
York are certainly very bad for thous-
ards of sensitive people; in fact. they
are bound to affect those of strong
nerves in time. Waves of sound act
very much like the waves of light.
The slight sounds leave their markings
on substances of all kinds. chemical.
organic. as well as inorganic. They
affect them in different ways. accord
Ing to their nature, or. rather, their
wave length-that means their rate of
oscillation. So with sound waves of
the unsympathetic character They
are the one class which act on ear
drums and thence on the brain CEN
tres. 1t is found that highly strung
beings are affected more or less by
sounds or noises.
Even the musical waves have their
action as we'll as music of high and
lower class. Inharmonious sounds
CRATE on the ears of thee human sub
ject Most peoples ears are attuned
to certain vibrations, while others
again are otherwise.
Nervous people. or those who have
been exposed all day to the disturbing
noises of the street, are wearied to
such an extent that they suffer very
much OF course some nervous sys-
TENS are not easily affected at first.
I'm view of all the facts. 1t is evil
dent that the streets of New York are
bad for a majority of people. Trolley
noises are the worst of all. 1t Is n
fact that New Workers are the noisiest
people in the world In Europe they
would not endure our nuisances for
day. The evil resulting from all these
noises we hear in New York and neigh
boring cities has produced hustling
around which some people call bust
ness.
An American Disease.
"On the Continent they call 1t the
American disease. Because of 1t our
business men are constantly in wild
rush instead of attending to their af-
fairs quietly and in a rational manner,
which, in the end. would enable them
to accomplish much more. even in the
way of business achievements.
Tn Europe no man in business, even
clerk. will allow any acair or any
man to intrude on his hours of rest
his two hours of relaxation from twelve
noon to two in the afternoon.
Even when in the midst of the most
important business transactions, such
as banking and commerce the Euro
pean will excuse himself at noon AMI
leave you to wait until he returns to
business at o'clock Every man on
the Continent will sacrifice the most
important engagement to his two hour
period at midday of rest for his nerves
and general constitution.
How different it is in this country,
Here the business man is ever thinking
of the main chance. At the noon hour
he snatches a hasty lunch and contin-
ues talking business with his custom
er between the mouthfuls as he bolts
his food at the lunch counter and we
wonder why Americans die young How
is 1t possible in the midst OF such up
roar to secure proper digestion and
nerve rest? The remedy is less noise
and hustle. It's all the same whether
a man is in the furore of the Stock En-
change with millions changing hands