The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-05
II, y. CrNI.uFFE.OwEN

a 'oord ship or in the cab Of
4 locomotive. or who has visited
She engines Of some great mine
hy means Of which the air necessary
for Oh, respiration Of many hundreds
If minors is pumped into the bowels OF
he earth. will have observed how con-
slant and unremitting is the care which
the ,nenccr on duty gives to his ma
,hinery. No matter how perfect the
latter he is forever examining. inspect
inc. watching this piece and that, test.
inr and feeling the bearings.
Not FOR minute does he permit his
attention to swerve therefrom, realizing.
AS he does, that even the finest ma
,hlncry may break down suddenly
without any apparent cause. While the
engine is at work every part is sub
i4ct.d 20 a more or less severe strain.
which may result in its giving way
cine,r never feels himself secure
against a contingency of this kind. but.
being always on the lookout for it,
can sometimes manage by a timely
Jerk If the lever to avert a terrible
catastrophe.
Now the machinery Of the human
brain is UNNECESSARILY more delicate.
more fragile and more liable to give
way under strain than any engine of
ron or steel. Yet its workings are
left INFESTED and even unmatched BY
any one OF experience in the matter.
and when they get out Of gear or stop
altogether no provision has been made
Tor the emergency.
When this occurs with men who hold
positions involving responsibility for
the safety Of human lives fatalities are
az, 20 ensue, and 1t is with a view
90 the dimlnution Of the danger in this
Connection that the Treasury Depart
men, at Washington is asking Congress
10 enact law requiring all employees
4 railroads, especially engine drivers.
sgna.men and switchers. TO submit at
east once a year. and preferably more
often. to physical and. above all, mental
examination BY physicians Of the
United States Public Health Service.
That legislation Of this sort Is i'm
perative is shown BY the statistics COM
p.led by the health department in
question for submission to Congress.
and which show a number Of cases Of
,p.lept!cs and incipient paretics en-
llvyed as engine drivers and SWITCH
men.
one thousand million passengers are
carried every year By the railroads Of
me United States. Ten thousand lives
are lost and 5000 persons injured an
nual.y BY accidents on steam and cleo
irIc INES. Some Of these mishaps are
due to faulty construction, others to
faulty equipment Of the roads. but a
very large proportion are attributable to
MISTAKES Of employees responsible for
the operation Of the trains. Federal and
State laws and the regulations inau-
guga,ed by the Interstate Commission
have done much to correct defective
material and equipment. 1t is now
necessary that there should be legisla-
ton, not only Federal but also State.
I'I t44t '4IlIlIlldtlOH VI the uduseI
by mentally defective operatives.
France is going even further in this
Respect, for on the urgent recommen-
ddtoN of the National Clinical Society
Of Mental Medicine that Government is
taxing steps 10 secure laws requir-
NJ also every motorman and even every
licensed chauffeur to undergo periodical
mentd. and physical examinations in
View If the danger to life which would
be- caused by the sudden mental break
down Of the driver Of one Of those huge
motor omnihuses or ponderous motor
trucks which have become the terror OF
We streets Of Paris. a demented chauf-
Ecu! ~ The wheel suggests phastly pos
>h..',~
" ..' precautionary measures OF this
aa' .!t ou the part of the Government
."'I' ..G abroad will prove Of consider
'i'' service and are urgently needed,
'h'N ''a 'nly be relied upon to eliminate
nom r-.'.ons involving responsibility
Ion i-' safety Of human life men who
Snow nal symptoms of mental de-
''c'.N' 'S, such as incipent paresis,
'F.'i-. So. No provision can, unfor-
'".t''... he made for what are so
1..i ally described by the Scotch as
'aa ..-"
y 3Nf.m IS the udden but temporary
'''i B." 4 the normal workings OF the
"NlhH' rain. Watches, clocks and even
'i' '..'-, chronometers are apt to have
"" 'A. That is to say they will sud
".i" ~ without any apparent cause,
ISL. "a still for few minutes. per-
''l- Il few hours. and will then all
'' and without any known reason
>''' q again working perfectly. So 1t
N "' The human brain.
S.' mes ii is sign of ncipient
''' and on this account has been
'|''I ~ the French petit NAL, in
''1' distinguish it from the grand
"a. 'p!leptic fits were designated in
'' mes. But more often it is merely
we IN of undue strain upon the
iN.'. n, eNcessive mental and physical
.'. ana as soon as 1t is over
cd - victims in perfectly normal
Ar...
-" anxiety or absorption In one
Viii sometimes produce tn,
'''. 'oot as all great chess players
aye H.I". Who among the experts OF
''H. which makes such heavy de-
u'' 'p'n ones mind, Is there who
N''- 10y remember having made a
~ stupid move. without the