Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 April 1885 — Inebriety Among Railroad Engineers. [ARTICLE]

Inebriety Among Railroad Engineers.

As a class, railroad engineers in active service are exceptionally temperate men, The daily performance of their duty requires a‘clear brain and, a steady nerve, which is vefy soon broken up by any use of alcohol. The nerve tension to which they are subjected in active work produces after a time many and profound nerve disorders. One of the hints of breaking down in this class is excessive caution and timidity. Often men who have had an accident and escaped without any external injury will -soon exhibit signs of mental shock, in what is called loss of nerve, or’childish caution. Their trains will always be Hate, they will “slow’down” and slacken speed from no reason except some internal fears, and have to be changed to other work. Insomnia and dyspepsia' are also common signs of exhaustion. After the day’s run, they will be unable to sleep or properly digest food, and alcohol in some form will be found to give relief. This will soon verge into inebriety, and the drinking will be confined to the hours after the work is over. During the day they drink nothing, except, perhaps, beer, and that in great moderation; but when night comes they use spirits to excess again. After a time such men will show marks of failure in excessive caution or recklessness, and be very irregular in the management of the engine. They will have heated journals and broken engines beyond the average experience. These and many other indications soon render them unfit for the work. It is the opinion of a competent authority that an engineer who begins to drink, will be, as a rule, obliged to give up work in two years from general incompetency, although his use of spirits may be at home and largely concealed, and what is called general moderation, A fact has recently come to my notice with its explanation that is of unusual interest. On a through line running out from New York it has been observed that nearly all the engineers who were changed and discharged for drinking were on the night trains, and were considered the most competent. The conclusion was that men on these night runs were more likely to drink, and the individual opinions of railroad managers agree on this point.— Medical and Surgical Reporter. i Mb. E. R. Hoyt, a mechanical engineer at the New Orleans Exposition, was severely injured bv a huge derrick pole falling on his foot. He was conveyed to his residence, and, after only three applications of St. Jacobs Oil, all the swelling and pain disappeared, and he resumed his duties.