New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-16

ductive of visible injury to health. early
death. or retirement" and it was sub
mitted by Messrs MacLaren and Ronald
that 1T is quite possible. owing 10 the resl-
lent equipoise of the human mechanism. 70
have systematic and oppressive overwork
without It's eventuating in sensational
casualty list"
They first OF all made minute study OF
the works Of eminent psychologists such as
Professor Carl Won Volt, of Munich Pro-
lessor Nathan Zuntz. Of Berlin; Or. "ilour
o. Atwater, Of Washington; DR.. r u Behe-
dict, Of Boston: Professor ID. y. Patton oil
Glasgow. and DR.. J. c. Dunlop. or Euih-
burgh They went into calculations snow
ing the average normal output or CARBON
dioxide and heat from the body, and III the
end were able to show in table form the
output OF energy involved in postmah
daily work on heavy walk" N Glasgow
They discovered that heavy walk IN
wolves the climbing Of an average OF Zo
stairs each day. A stair" is understood
10 be a fight OF twenty steps-each WIN
tread of six and hve-eighths inchcs-"h'''
represents a height OF about eleven iee',
This works out, counting going UP anu
coming down, at no fewer than s'4oo steps
a day.
One record OF stair climbing when theS
n,ade showed that the postman had 70 MS
cend and descend 5l,ico steps during o"e
week, the daily average being $500.
Another table showed that the average
weight OF burden during the three ue"'
cries of one day varied CONSIDERABLY AZ
1l.15 q. m. IT was pounds ounces at DIV
p m II was pounds y ounces ana at 100
n m. II was 4 pounds Il ounces. Inc 'i'"e
.occunied ON delivery varied between one
ham. and twenty minutes and one hour ana
forty-five minutes.
The late Sir b. w Richardson Is quoted
at some length in order to show that post
mon are good illustrations Of the fact that
some men are too long engaged IN "hdt
many consider light work." but which by
IFS persistency. tells rapidly on the consu-
tutional power. To emphasize this fact
note the case of one postman whose Official
work necessitated his walking fourteen ana
tbree-ouarter miles on the level. and total
stair" rise Of 1886 feet. which is more
than the rise from sea level to the top Oh
Ben LOmond.
Among other questions scientfncally
treated were food requirements as an indeX
Of the severity Of bodily exercise and the
method of computing working efficiency.
BY adopting certain methods Of computing
the amount Of energy demanded from
stair climbing postman Messrs. MacLaren
and Ronald were able TO compare the Work
demanded with that which physiological
scientists say should be regarded as a fair
days work an one case the statistics show
that postman on a heavy walk per
formed work in eight hours which ought to
have occupied twenty-fOur hours and four
teen minutes.
They. therefore, claim that the medical
inquiry into stair climbing in 1857 was IN
adequate that there exists good case for
a new inquiry 10 be conducted on different
lines and that such inquiry should engage
on original research work, which would
supplement the existing sum OF physiologi-
cal knowledge on the subject. They sug-
gest that the body selected 10 conduct this
inquiry should take the form OF royal
commission London Express