The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-16
WRITER'S CRAMP.

Tram 4OurSelI FHySlCdlly, 6 DOStol
 Tells Authors-Most Writing Arms
 Unfit for Heavy Strain
 That every writer should regularly train his arm to secure muscle and nerve readiness for writing and that most writing arms are utterly unfit for the strain of the work imposed upon them is the opinion of a physician who has treated many cases of writer's cramp. He does not expect the warn ing to be needed, though, As a rule no one takes writer's cramp seriously until 1t has taken him seriously.
 One can have it in greater or less degree. In any degree it is pest to the writer. If you have 1t In the least degree a doctors advice should be sought at once. If your hand, or arm, or one finger of your hand gets cold, cramped, or stiff, or gets tired quickly from writing, then the trouble threatens you, according to the physi- clan referred to.
 T consider writer's arm most serious trouble" he said Some of the saddest cases I've come across in my professional experience are those of people who have had to depend upon their right arm for support and have had it partially or completely in- capacitated.
 "Pianists, violinists, dentists, people who work with the right hand great deal with tools, like bookhinders, wood carvers, etc, get this same trouble from the same negligence A young pianist know, who gave great pro mise. had to give up the following 1 of his art through an overstrained right arm brought on by excessive practicing for his debut He had to go into business. hate to see that poor fellows face when he looks at piano"
 | The physical act of writing Is a one-sded thing. One shoulder, one arm, one hand are at it maybe hours at time. In the hours while shoul- l der, arm and hand are hard at 1t the rest of the body Is perfectly still, get ting no exercise whatever, Min is intent upon work, adding mental nervous tension to the nervous tension of concentertated physical action.
 "A writer should physically train for the task of writing" said the plly- sician He should walk for the sake of his task, swing clubs, play tennis, golf, climb mountains for It.
 There should be a conscious effort on his part to swing his body into l thorough balance to counteract the onesided strain wrought into 1t by the overuse of one arm and to set blood into circulation that has lain sluggish in the hours of sedentary work.h Learn to write in the easiest pos sible way is his advice. Abolish char acter from your writing if it bring a nervous tension into the hand.
 Study the subject of penholders. It seems to be generally agreed that big handles bring less strain than small ones. Try dozen kinds till you get the best kind for you.
 A London novelist has her stylo- graphic pen fitted Into a cork handle an inch and quarter in diameter. She had 1t made to suit her needs.
 One person needs one kind of pen, another person another Kind A newspaper editor in town has bas- ket of different sized penholders on his desk. He finds 1t Is a good thing to use them alternately in writing, thus keeping his hand from being constantly in nexactly the same posi- ton.
 The doctor understanding his busi- ness makes a patient coming to him for advice about an arm or hand strained from writing write for him and he points out any wrong position in fingers, hand, arm or shoulder ir the operation. For the tense, ner. vous hand he will in nine cases out of 10 recommend the large penholdel and a different way of writing.
 Care should be taken to have tht table or desk at which one writes O the right height, not too high or too low, A too high support for the pa per throws ones shoulder up Into { strained position; too low supper forces one into a bad stoop.
 One should force ones self into oc casional little rests while writing. Ge up, get your balance by strengthening shoulders and hips. Between period of writing get out into the open ali and walk briskly, this physician ad vises.
 People who are a bit run down ar the most likely to have their writin, arm give out. Every effort shoult be made to keep aone's self in al around fine trim. Most writers hay no pity on themselves, especially whel seized by an idea.
 Their mind is the only thing tha interests them; the slave body mus toll for it blindly. The only bothe is that there comes time where tn slave has way of becoming the mas ] ter and inflicts torment to avenge olt Iabuses fl
 Keep yourself in good athleti form for your writing tell pa tients," the doctor continued, "ant the patient retorts But I haven time That's pretty nearly alway the cry-no time to take a stitch tha will save nine.
 If you had played golf you woulc never have this trouble" said doc tor to a newspaper woman. You arm was in no muscular condition fol