An Old Man In Health And Constitution Before He Is Even A Young One

[RichardB]

ON PRESERVING THE HEALTH OF MANUFACTURERS, WITH EXPERIMENTS ON MOISTURE.

To The Editor Of The Tradesman, Or Commercial Magazine.

Sir,

IN your work for December last, p. 484, vol. 4. are some very judicious suggestions, for promoting the health, increasing the comforts, and bettering the morals of those employed in the numerous and extensive British manufactories, from the pen of W. Yate Honeywood, Esq. of Gloucestershire; permit me, if you think it worthy of insertion, to add a few lines on preserving the health of our manufacturers.

The great bodily labour and exertion requisite at many of our manufactories, particularly those of Birmingham and Sheffield, often render the industrious mechanic, for want of a due regard for preserving his health, an old man in health and constitution before he is even a young one; and many are worn down by bodily infirmities, brought on by over fatigue and carelessness, at the age of three or four and twenty. I know that, with the general class of manufacturers and artisans, a theoretical preaching may have but little avail, but by a proper representation and an exemplary practice by those manufacturers and tradesmen, who are looked to by their labourer both for precept and example, any hint towards the end proposed may not be throw a away.

If the morals and manners of manufacturers are altered from what they were many years since, the habits and constitutions have no less been greatly changed in a course of years, but not, according to the erroneous assertions of some writers, through the change of climate and difference of the atmosphere. The manual labour of the English is greater than formerly, and more work and labour is expected from one pair of hands at present, than formerly would have been expected from three. Again, the wages they earn, although not greater in proportion to the advanced price of the necessaries of life, yet to the intemperate it enables a greater excess in liquors, and meat food. Numerous are the poor objects of Birmingham, Sheffield and Manchester, rendered cripples by rheumatism and paralytic affections, entirely from colds caught while at their proper avocations, from a sudden check of perspiration, to which the constitution of our modern mechanics are more subject to than formerly, from the difference in their regimen and exercise. Flannel has of late been recommended by all our physicians to the army and navy, and public in general, and it has been used with the most salutary effects; and in addition to the cleanliness recommended so properly to the workmen, in Mr. Honeywood's paper, let me earnestly recommend the adoption of flannel shirts, or what is called Guirnscy jackets, next the skin, by labourers while at their work, particularly at the iron forges, and other manufactories, liable to great heat and violent exercise. Flannel has long been recommended for the preservation of health, particularly by that able physician Sir Richard Jebb. Yet, till of late, the adoption thereof has made but little progress; but as prejudice to antient customs is at length giving way, I hope these few hasty observations may not be thrown away, but may, perhaps, be taken up by abler hands than myself to promulgate so truly valuable an attempt to lengthen the days of our fellow creatures.

Source