Year: 1875

An interesting paper by DR.. Samuel
Wilkes, physician to Guys Hospital, has
lately appeared in the London Lancet,
on 9 Life at High Pressure" and the
effects generally of the overstrain to
which public and other men are often
exposed in these times. Without enter
ing on particular cases, each of which
must be regarded on its own merits, Dr..
Wilkes declines to admit the truth OF
the common impression that disease and
death are making splendid harvests out
of the overwruught bodies and over
strained nerves of large numbers of per-
sons. He says, if the question be put
broadly, Are people suffering from
overwork?' |, for one, ShOuld have no
hesitation in saying, no; but, on the
contrary, if both sexes be taken, | should
say that the opposite is nearer the truth,
and that more persons are suffering
from idleneSs than from excessive work.
Medically speaking, | see half dozen
persons suffering from want of occupa-
ton to one who is crippled by his Ia
bors.n In the case of girls, instead of
work being injurious, he says he could
instance numerous cases OF recovery on
the discovery of an occupation. Let Il
girl occupy herself neither with amuse-
ment nor with useful work, she falls
into bad health, becomes prey to her
own powers and every function of her
body is damaged, as well as her moral
nature perverted. These cases are very
difficult of cure; mothers are terrified
to let their daughters do any thing, they
are so delicate. work would kill them;
what they need is doctors visits, phySic
and alcohol. This is ruinous. 1t is quite
remarkable what a delicate young lady
can do under the power of a stimulant.
He relates, for example, that a gentle
man had lately expressed his surprise to
see how his daughter, who could not
walk many yards for long time, owing
to pain in her back, was soon able to
walk several miles day when she pro-
cured the support of a lovers arm. DR..


Wilkes says that he would gladly give
employment to the half million of un-
married women. The human body is
made for work; the amount it can do IS
proportional to the power of the ma
chine; but, unlike other machines, it
can be kept in vigor only by use; 1t Is
sure to rust and decay from disuSe.
These views are of supreme Importance
at time when growing wealth Is so
| quickly adding to the number Of those To
whom work is not necessity. A we'll
| known writer on the poor some time ago
divided the community into four classes
those who can't work, those who
won't work, those who do work, and
those who don't need to work. These


last are apt to be supposed the happy
| few, and many is the effort made To get
into the favorite class. Science, how
ever, is reversing the popular impress
sion. We are learning from experience
what was so long ago shown in the case
of Sodom, that fullness of bread and
abundance of idleness are too often the
parents of grievOus evils. "Better to
wear out than to rust out" is finding


new verification. If it were for nothing


higher, our flower missions and similar


good works are doing important service
| to the health of many hitherto unOc-


cupied girl. The dignity of labor Is re-


ceiving a fresh illustration, and we may


quote with increased confidence the lines


of song of labor:


o, while you feel tits hard TO toll


And sweat the long day through,


Remember it is harder still


To have no work to do.