Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-12

and too long continued is harmful.
Ambitious workmen doing piece work
will sometimes produce this result by
speeding beyond the limits which ma
ture prescribes.
But we must not charge to work
what is properly chargeable to other
causes. Ordinary tiredness resulting
from proper effort is not harmful but
beneficial, enabling us to enjoy and
digest our food and obtain rest and
reeuperation from sleep. Work in it
self is a joy and a blessing. 1t pro-
notes longevity. AS a rule, people
who work hard are not troubled with
either indigestion or insomnia Sound
and true is the saying of Ecclesiastes,
THE sleep of a laboring man is sweet,
whether he eat little or much; but
the abundance of the rich will not
suffer him to sleep"
The conclusion is that both fatigue
and efficiency depend upon exercise
alone, and that our aim should be,
to use the words of Prof. Lee, Ito
make Of labor a physiological rather
than a pathological exercise" Thus
shall we be able to obey the injunc-
ton Of the Apostle Paul: Quit you
like men; be strong" In the language
of Maltbie Babcock:
We are not here to play, to dream,
to drift;
We have hard work to do and loads
to lift
Shun not the struggle; face it. IT'S
Gods gift.
Overlooking. undertaking, improper
10 IL - las~
and number of other things are the
chief causes Of fatigue, according to
DIR. Darlington. and hard work. pro-
vided it is not overdone, takes its
place among the minor causes. Says
he:
/. The amount of fuel stored and
the ability of the system to bring
1t into use.
2. The ability of the system to fur
nish oxygen to burn the fuel.
8. The ability of the system to car
ry off waste or other toxic substances.
Conversely, fatigue is due primar-
lily to the. failure of the system to
perform properly one or more of these
functions.
First, fatigue may be caused by
anything that interferes with the
storage of fuel. This may arise from
a lack CT fuel. Under this head would
come undertaking, improper feeding,
indigestion of food, lack of assimila-
ton of food and incapacity OF the
liver and muscles to store sufficient
glycogen.
He goes on to show that food which
does not furnish energy may lead to
fatigue. For example, cabbage Is a
very common article of diet, but there
is little energy in it, After food
reaches the stomach there is often
much needless waste, particularly or
the sugars, due to fermentation In the
stomach Overeating and rapidity or
eating also affect digestion and there
fore promote fatigue. He continues:
Secondly, fatigue is caused by any
thing that interferes with the carrying
of oxygen to the tissues. This may
be a diminished amount of oxygen in
the atmosphere, diminished carrying
power of the blood, diminished lung
capacity or interference with the cir
culation of the blood.
The two factors which relate es-
peeially to diminished amount of oxy-
gen in the atmosphere are bad venu-
latiou and altitude. The main effect
of bad ventilation, especially where
there are a number of people in
room. is to increase the humidity.
The detrimental effect of this humid
ity is of more Importance than any
diminishing of oxygen or increase in
carbcnic dioxide.
From diminished oxygen, altitude
produces fatigue. Any one who has
climbed a mountain has felt this.
A matter of particular Importance
to those in the iron and steel indus
try is the fact that the oxygen carry
ing power of the blood is very much
diminished If there is any carbon
monoxide in the air breathed by the
men. The deleterious effects of this
gas is due to it's combination with the
red material in the blood, thus injur-
ing the oxygen-ca carrying function. The
affinity of the red material OF the
blood for carbon monoxide is much
greater than its affinity for oxygen,
forming a compound with carbon,
which is a much more stable COM
pound than that formed with oxygen.
Anything that interferes with the
general circulation of the blood, such
as heart disease, tight clohting or the
condition of the body, causes fatigue.
Where there is diminished lung capac-
ity, as in consumption of the lungs
(phthisis) there is interference with
the oxygen carrying power of the
blood. In heart disease the blood is
not properly pumped through the
body. In the case of obese persons
the increase of the vessels and the
distance for the blood to travel make
the heart pump harder.
Tight clothing directly interferes
with the circulation. All these cause
fatigue. Age. sex, climate and sea-
sons also have much to do with the
circulation of the blood, and there
fore with fatigue.
The third great cause of fatigue is
poisoning by accumulated waste in
the muscles or poisoning by toxic sub
stances. This accumulation mays be
due to too rapid formation of the
products of waste, or 1t may be due to
the inability of the blood or system
TO carry away the waste products.
If the nerve of muscle is constantly
stimulated, the muscular contractions
become smaller in extent and finally
cease The ypuScIa IL then said to he