ABSTRACT
The crucial test as to whether the fatigue of industry falls within physiological limits, or exceeds them and becomes pathological, is found in its effects on the health of the worker. Sickness may be due to poor factory conditions, such as bad lighting, inadequate heating, and so on. Industrial life has undoubtedly exerted a profound influence on the physique of the nation. The amount of sickness varies greatly in different occupations. In Swiss cotton spinning mills it was found that the women experienced 28 per cent. more sickness than the men, whilst in the weaving sheds they experienced 39 per cent. more. The mortality of different classes of industrial workers is subjected to a detailed investigation by the Registrar-General for a triennial period at ten year intervals, and his statistics reveal very striking differences in different industries.
