Great care should be exercised in the choice of an occupation. This should not be left to chance nor to the ignorant fancy of the youth. The occupations which will best suit the idiosyncrasies of the individual both mentally and physically should be selected. Many lives are shortened because of the unwise choice of occupation. The individual with defective lungs should not select a dusty trade, nor the physically weak person a trade which requires an enormous amount of muscular strength. In other words, a trade should be carefully selected with a view to the weak and strong points of the individual.
In this question of a choice in employment the sex should be taken into consideration. While there are many occupations in which women are as competent or more competent than men, yet there are several factors to be weighed. Taken as a general rule, women are not as strong physically as men. There are some occupations which have a very detrimental effect upon the reproductive organs. Statistics show that women are more easily affected by industrial poisons than men. Congestion of the reproductive organs during menstruation is increased and if women are compelled to work at certain occupations during this menstrual period, they will certainly find it detrimental to their health.
It is a recognized fact, according to many authorities on the subject, that there is a larger percentage of abortions and miscarriages among women in industries than among women in domestic life. The infant mortality is also very much higher. Many abortions and miscarriages result from the effects of industrial poisoning, as well as from heavy and continuous work.
Effect of Labor upon Children
The most injurious effects from occupation are those upon children since they are more susceptible to the ill effects than adults. The child should have every advantage for the development of all parts of his body that there may be no interference with its proper growth. Attention should be given to his mental and moral development. These things can not receive proper attention if the child is forced to labor under adverse conditions just at the time when the body is developing.
Many occupations are such that curvatures of the spine are produced and different parts of the body overtaxed. Child labor should be prohibited. There is no labor so expensive to our country as child labor. If our children are not given an opportunity to develop physically, mentally and morally, we will suffer in citizenship in the next generation. There is bound to be a deterioration from such procedure.
The organs of the child are peculiarly susceptible to the effects of overwork and fatigue; the entire body is in the process of development and its development may be retarded and its growth seriously hindered. It is a most excellent thing to keep the child employed and active, but there certainly should be a means of protecting him from the avarice and greed of heartless employers. The best way to do this is to keep him out of gainful employment until there has been sufficient physical development to insure against overtaxing the young body.
Place of Work
The influence of the occupation upon health will be governed not only by the character of the work, but also by the environment in which the work is performed. Whether it is indoor or outdoor work, whether it is an active or sedentary occupation, and whether there are extremes in the temperature, humidity, air pressure or light, or whether the work is on the surface or below it as in mines, are all factors. The position of the worker, the length of the working hours, the physical, mental and nervous strain all have a bearing on health. Outdoor work is preferred, especially for those who are inclined to pulmonary or respiratory disorders, because of the difference in the purity of the air. Outdoor workers suffer less from fatigue and their mortality rate is lower.