"Yet ’tis certain that in each City and Town, vast Numbers of Persons still earn their Bread by writing. The Diseases of Persons incident to this Craft arise from three Causes; first, constant Sitting; secondly, the perpetual Motion of the Hand in the same manner; and, thirdly, the Attention and Application of the Mind.
Now ’tis certain that constant sitting produces Obstructions of the Viscera, especially of the Liver and Spleen, Crudities of the Stomach, a Torper of the Leggs, a languid Motion of the refluent Blood and Cacbexies. In a word, Writers are depriv’d of all the Advantages arising from moderate and salutary Exercise.
Constant writing also considerably fatigues the Hand and whole Arm, on account of the continual and almost tense Tension of the Muscles and Tendons. I knew a Man who, by perpetual writing, began first to complain of an excessive Weariness of his whole right Arm, which could be remov’d by no Medicines, and was at last Succeeded by a perfect Pally of the whole Arm. That he might sustain as little Loss as possible by the Accident, he learn’d to write with his left Hand, which was soon after seiz’d with the same Disorder."