gg TUK CllAirr.S OCCUIAIION. 



Some of the indications as to tlie healtbfulness of certain occupations are contra- 

 dictory of generally-accepted views. As an instance, the occupations of tobacconist 

 and of liquor-dealer may be cited. While it is generally supposed that the use of 

 tobacco and spirituous liquors is detrimental to the healthy action of the digestive and 

 nervous systems, the charts on the diseases of those systems show that men dealing in 

 the commodities named A^ere more healthy than the dealers in other merchandise ; in 

 fact, wei-e healthier than the average for all occupations. A dealer in tobacco or spir- 

 ituous liquor is not necessarily a smoker or a tippler, but, to "be able to judge of the 

 quality of his wares, one must at least be a taster; and the probabilities are that very 

 few indeed of the venders of these articles confine themselves to mere tasting. It is 

 equally probable that manv' m.en become drunkards as liquor-dealers, and, being inca- 

 pable of conducting a business profitably, are found in some other occupation. Thus 

 many cases of nervous diseases would be lost sight of, (in their true relation ;) Init the 

 same woidd not be true of diseases of the digestive system, nor could this ^supposition 

 of incapacitation be applietl to tobacconists. The diseases from which each suffered 

 were not the same. Liquor-dealers, more than any others of the mercantile class, were 

 found affected by chronic rheumatism and diseases of the cii'culatory system; and, on 

 account of disease as a whole, the i-atio of rejection among them exceeded the mean. 

 Tobacconists, on the other hand, were found least affected by all the before-mentioned 

 diseases, but most affected l)v svphilis. The apparent immunity enjoyed by liquor- 

 dealers from paralysis and disorders of the intellect, of tobacconists from chronic rheu- 

 matism and diseases of the circulatory system, and of both from diseases of the diges- 

 tive" system and excessive obesity, furnishes an interesting subject for discussion. It 

 must, however, be borne in mind that only such cases as warranted rejection are taken 

 into account. 



The particular diseases by which men following certain occupations were found 

 affected, when compared with other diseases affecting those following certain other occu- 

 pations, furnish another interesting subject for consideration. All the instances are too 

 nimaerous to particularize, but the following will serve to introduce the subject. Law- 

 yers are shown to be more subject to chronic rheumatism, diseases of the nervous sys- 

 tem, (as a whole,) disorders of the intellect, and obesity -than the men of any other 

 profession, and to suffer more than the average from phthisis pulmonalis, paralysis, dis- 

 eases of the digestive system, and disease as a whole. Editors are shown to be, most 

 of all, sul)ject to phthisis pulmonalis, diseases of the circulatory system, and disease as 

 a whole, and more than the average subject to diseases of the digestive system ; while 

 they enjoy nearly or quite entire immunity from cl^'onic rheumatism, syphilis, diseases 

 of the nervous system, paralysis, disorders of the intellect, and obesity. A point 

 involved in the consideration of phthisis pulmonalis may also be stated. It is the com- 

 j)aratively low ratio of musicians rejected on account of that disease. Students rank 

 next to musicians ; but as the occupation presupposes youth or early manhood, the indi- 

 cation, as regards the effect of an occupation, is of no value, for in young men phthisis 

 is usually undeveloped Leaving students out of the question, then, the chart shows 

 a remorkal)le falling-off in the ratio from the other professions to rnusicians ; and this 

 freedom from the dise;ise may be accounted for by either of two hypotheses, which 



