A handbook of the theory and practice of medicine / by Frederick T. Roberts.
- Frederick Thomas Roberts
- Date:
- 1885
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A handbook of the theory and practice of medicine / by Frederick T. Roberts. Source: Wellcome Collection.
27/1050 page 9
![covered. On tlie other hand, individuals are not uncommonly over-clad, especially children. Clothing may also do harm by being too tight and exerting pressure, as in the case of those who wear tight stays or belts. The habit of neglecting to change wet clothes is very dangerous. (v.) Want of cleanliness^ domestic or personal, often induces disease. Cutaneous affections may arise from the repeated contact with the skin of various substances of an irritating character. (vi.) Amount of lahoar and exercise.—Many persons suffer as the result of excessive and prolonged labour or exertion, whether carried on habitually or only at intervals. On the contrary a much larger number are injured by leading a sedentary life, and taking no exercise. Various occupations furnish instances of both these hygienic errors, though they are often voluntarily indulged in apart from occupation, especially the leadiDg of a sedentary existence. (vii.) Mental causes.—Among these maybe specially mentioned exces- sive intellectual effort or study, particularly if combined with deficient sleep or mental anxiety; and all violent or depressing emotions, such as grief, sudden joy, deep anxiety of mind, or severe and sudden fright. They may either predispose to or excite diseases, especially those con- nected with the nervous system. (viii.) Mechanical causes.—These constitute a very important class, especially in exciting or determining some morbid condition, owing to the direct injury or irritation which they originate. Mechanical causes chiefly include external violence, long-continued pressure, excessive use of a part, over-exertion and straining, prolonged maintenance of a fixed position; and the irritation of foreign bodies. Among the last may be particularly mentioned calculi, accumulations of faeces, parasitic animals and plants, and particles inhaled into the respiratory organs. Occupations often act injuriously in one or more of the ways above indicated. A mechanical cause sometimes leads to the local develop- ment of a constitutional disease; thus pressure or injury may determine the formation of cancer in a particular organ. (ix.) Causes connected with tlie sexual functions.—Venereal excesses, masturbation, and too early or frequent sexual excitement, unquestion- ably often give rise to serious mischief. The elementary causes which have thus far been considered are usually more or less combined in any individual case. On an exten- sive scale their influence is evident in the diversities which are observed as to the general state of health of communities, and as to the parti- cular diseases which prevail in civilized and uncivilized countries ; in different nations, and in the same country under varying modifica- tions of government, civilization, religion, etc. ; in large towns and country places, as well as in different towns or districts and in different parts of these; and in mountainous regions and low confined valleys. Some of them also explain the influence which climate, season, occu- ]jation, and other so-called causes of disease exercise upon the general health, and upon the development of many special complaints. Special causes of disease.—There are certain agents in the causation of disease which have not yet been considered, and which require sepa- rate notice. They are chiefly of the nature of poisons of various kinds, and produce effects which are more or less definite and constant. 1. Chemical poisonous substances, chiefly inorganic—The effects of various chemical poisons upon the system are sufficiently](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20400111_0027.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
