Evening star., 1912-09-08

feeding and undertaking. The relation
of food and alcohol to fatigue is a special
study: also the effects of temperature
and humidity upon fatigue, and the ef-
fects OF vice and dissipation upon fatigue.
The man who drinks gets tired sooner.
So in like manner the man who dissi-
pates.
DIR. Sargent of Harvard University
shows the methods which he has de-
veloped for measuring athletes. He shows
in one curve on chart a complete pie
ture of an individuals physical make
up. Such a curve indicates infallibly
whether a man would make good oars
man or a first-class sprinter. This idea Is
illustrated by the curves of John L. Sui
Hvan, Theodore Roosevelt and other dis
tinguished persons.
The dangers OF occupations are shown
by photographs and models. Methods in
common use, and which are perilOus, are
contrasted with safe methods-for ex-
ample, the old-fashioned weaving shuttle
which was called the kiss of DEATH
with the new style of shuttle that can be
rethreaded with a single motion of the
hand. The old shuttle now forbidden in
Massachusetts, could be rethreaded only
by sucking the broken end of the thread
through It, This had to be done about
of fiber getting into the lungs promoted
tuberculosis
New York state exhibits photomicro-
graphs of 100 specimens of dust collected
in factories. Such dust is often very poi
sonous 1t may contain disease germs or
dangerous chemic substances such as ar
senic. Accordingly. in this state the
health authorities have undertaken to
make special tests of the atmosphere in
various industrial plants. and pneumatic
dust collectors are installed to minimize
such mischief
Consideration is given likewise to acci-
dents Of miners, metal workers, wood
workers and workers in. other trades
Safety devices are shown. Charts describe
the effect of industrial strain upon the
health of working women. the relation OF
female labor to infant mortality, the in
fiuence of the laborious employment of
women Upon the birth rate and the sex
ratio of births. and. not least important.
the health aspects of the so-called
'sweated" industries. which are con-
Quoted at high pressure for over-long
hours amid insanitary surroundings.
State and municipal hygiene take up
the problems Of water supply. sewage de-
struction and the disposal of the dead.
Midwives, the transportation of the sick.
quacks and patent medicines. life-saving,
exercise in its relation to health and
growth, insects Indt carry diseases, the
transportation of the dead. fertility and in
crease of population in the United States
0ocal and generaD, variations Of mortal
ity according to age. sex. occupation, in
come. housing, climate and elevation-all
of these arc considered, likewise harm
less paints (many OF course. are poison
ous), the requisite hours Of sleep. effects
OF reading and writing on eyesight-sug-
gesting how enormously comprehensive
Is the great problem Of hygiene.
X
Traffic and transportation is another
branch, which takes within its purview
clean streets. the prevention of noise and
avoidance Of accidents. The ventilation,
heating. lighting and cleaning Of cars
come in here; also the sanitation Of ele-
waited and underground stations and Of
subways. Safety devices for water craft
with reference to fires, drowning and ex-
plosions are shown. The transportation
of food water. ice and other things by
rail is illustrated. Nothing seems to be
left out Statistics are offered even In
regard to the hygiene of submarine. boats
this question relating chiefly to vitiation
of the air on board.
The congress is not only of hygiene
hut. as indicated by its title, Of de-
mography also. Most people probably will
wonder what demography means. and so
one should explain that it signifies all
kinds of data relating in any way to hu-
man welfare. All such statistics are
gathered from every imaginable source.
with a view to collecting as great a
quantity of knowledge as possible on sub
iects having to do with the health and
happiness Of mankind. The frequency Of
illness, according to sex and age. and ac-
cording to occupations: measurements of
the healthfulness Of occupations; the d.
yorce problem; the effect of intemper-
ance upon morality-these are only
few of the subjects taken up.
Finally, there is the great problem OF
sex hygiene, the teaching of which is
now being introduced into the schools
and colleges 1t discusses methods of re-
production of plants in worms. In mol
iusks. and in mammals. 1t concerns it
self with heredity-i. e.. the transmits
sion of parental characteristics TO on
spring and the influence OF defects or
diseases Of the progenitor upon the child.
All of this has direct bearing upon the
aIl-important science of "eugenics,
which in the opinion OF many people or
learning, is destined sooner OF later to be