Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1896 — Fatigue. [ARTICLE]

Fatigue.

“He never loses a moment,” used to be thought an unqualified compliment. Now we are not quite so sure that It says much for the wisdom of him to whom it is applied. From many different directions comes the testimony that too much activity is loss instead of gain, since overfatigue poisons the physical system. An analysis has been made of the poison engendered by fatigue, and it has been found to be similar to the ancient vegetable poison, curari, into which the Indians used to dip their arrows; and a most deadly poison It was. The poison of fatigue is of the same chemical nature, and is as truly deadly if it is created more rapidly than the blood can carry it off. There is no known antidote for this poison, and its dangers beset alike the pleasure seeker and the worker. An Italian physician recently examined twenty-four bicycle riders after they had ridden thirty-two miles in two hours and a quarter. It was found that in nearly every instance the nervous system was so far affected by fatigue that the hearing of the cyclists was defective. After a rest of two hourg most of them could hear as well as ever. Another practical test was made upon fifty grammar school children who were to take part in a written examination of two hours and a half. Before entering upon the strain which such an examination must necessarily be, each child was Instructed to lift as much as he could with the dynamometer. This was done to test the muscular strength of each pupil before the examination. After the work in the school room was ended, the children were again told to lift as much as possible in the same way. It was found that, with one or two exceptions, they eould not lift as much by several pounds as they had lifted before the examination. It is now a demonstrated fact that prolonged mental strain will diminish the pulse, produce fullness and heaviness of the head, and bring about palpitation of the heart.