Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-13
The Co,,i,,,lt,,ity Health

IA 1 s ~ Z N /.
kind Of occupational ave disease can
be found In people who are compelled
to work for hours at q stretch, on
work that requires close inspection OF
small things. Bookkeeping, drawing.
matchmaking, sewing and dentistry, all
close work. require strain Of the
muscle OF accommodation. even IL peo-
pie have normal eyes. Many people
have erorrs Of refraction for which
glasses should be properly fitted. Even
II glasses arc properly fitted, there 10,
still an accommodation strain where
the eye u unwisely taxed. This ac-
counts for the headaches, tired and red
eyes and nervous exhaustion 20 FREE
Quently seen In those who work long
and hard at occupations requiring
close visual exertion, and where 1t
the Same time perhaps tho light II
poor and badly arranged.
Shortsightedness Is q diseaae aggra-
waited by the close use Of the eyes and
ID found in students. type settlers.
etchers and engravers. in fact in any
vocation whore close and continuous
use Of the eyes Is demanded. The
proper adjustment Of glasses ID essen
tial in such cases, as well as health
up-building, open-air life. proper light-
ing and the judicious use OF tho eyes;
for it must be remembered that short
sightedness is progressive disease
and sometimes causes blindness.
Shortsighted people sould endeavor to
secure some occupation which does not
require the close and continuous use
of the eyes.
Neurological Cancer Houses.
There has been considerable discuss
81 - - -
cancer houses" and cancer streets"
which have been given wide currency,
have tended to strengthen the impress
sion that there are houses and streets
where the disease occurs with unusual
frequency, the Implication being that q
relation Of some kind exists and that
cancer Is in some way an Infectious
disease. This view and the alleged evi-
dence to support it were vigorously at
tackled by DR.. e. F. Bashford, the gem
eral director OF the work of the Inn
perial Cancer Research Fund. in his
report to the annual meeting Of the
Fund, held in London in July. Accord
ing to DIR. Bashford. cancer houses, In
the sense that people living in them be-
came infected. are as much of myth
as cancer cages" In the case Of AMI
mails, and he hopes that these fancied
dangers will cease alike to alarm the
public and divert the energies OF in
vestigators from fruitful lines Of in
CURRY" According to DIR. Bashford the
public is misled by statements based on
simple enumeration OF houses in which
one, two, or three. or moro cases OF
cancer had occurred. Such an inquiry
can be only preliminary to an accurate
determination OF whether cancer 10
really more frequent In one house than
in another. To reach the true conclu-
sion 1t would be necessary to consider
all the details OF the population. not
only Of tho cancer houses but also OF
the other houses in the same neighbor-
hood as to age, sex, nature and site OF
the disease. duration OF state, occupa-
ton and habits. Some houses might
be sought after by old people because
Of low rental or house might be let
to couples without children or It might
be frequented by aged dodgers. Even
II II were scientifically established that
cancer Is more frequent in certain
houses, 1T would be fallacious to jump
to the conclusion that cancer is infec-
tious. In all such inquiries we must
not overlook the great frequency Of tho
disease. especially in adult life. and tho
part which ordinary chance would play
In counting up cases IN certain houses
and certain localities. As DR.. BasEford
points out the British statistics for
1911 show that out OF total Of las. 703
deaths of males over 35 years OF age.
1858 died OF cancer. and out OF 49,
go deaths OF females over IS years OF
age. 1888 died OF cancer. It II easy t.
calculate therefrom that the chance
that man over 35 will die from cancer
Is one in 81. and for woman over 35.
one In IA. It would indeed be strange
IL this large number OF deaths from
cancer were distributed evenly and It is
perfectly natural to suppose that some
houses and some families would ex-
hibit many more cases. and might even
by the laws Of chance continue to ex-
hibit high rate over long periods OF
time. The conclusion that cancer Is
either infectious or hereditary would.
ON such evidence, be unwarranted. Sir
Thomas Oliver in recent address re-
ferred to one street In which between
1893 and 1908. nineteen persons and ono
dog had died OF cancer. Careful exam
nation shows that the death rate OF
this street was only little above the
average for the whole country.