While action is surely essential to our physical and moral being, all
extremes should be avoided. Excessive labor, even out of door, in the air
and sunshine, may be injurious. On this point I quote the _Scientific
American_:--
"It has oftentimes been asserted that those exposed to severe labor in the
open atmosphere were the least subject to sickness. This has been proven a
fallacy. Of persons engaged at heavy labor in outdoor exposure, the
percentage of sickness in the year is 28.05. Of those engaged at heavy
labor in-doors, such as blacksmiths, etc., the percentage of sickness is
26.54--not much to be sure; but of those engaged at light occupations
in-doors and out, the percentage of sickness is only 20.80-21.58. For
every three cases of sickness in those engaged in light labor, there are
four cases among those whose lot is heavy labor. The mortality, however,
is greater among those engaged in light toil, and in-door labor is less
favorable to longevity than laboring in the open atmosphere. It is
established clearly that the quantum of sickness annually falling to the
lot of man is in direct proportion to demands on his muscular power.
"How true this makes the assertion,--'Every inventor who abridges labor,
and relieves man from the drudgery of severe toil, is a benefactor of his
race.' There were many who looked upon labor-saving machines as great
evils, because they supplanted the hand toil of many operatives. We have
helped to cure the laboring and toiling classes of such absurd notions. A
more enlightened spirit is now abroad, for all experience proves that
labor-saving machines do not destroy the occupations of men, but merely
change them."