[Ads-l] Fw: Thinking class / Cognitive class / Knowledge class

[Emily Gordon]

I suspect you all would enjoy this 1905 article, "Cerebrasthenia the Bane
of the American Brain-Worker" (E. Van Goidtsnoven, A.M., M.D., Atlanta J
Rec Med. 1905 Jan; 6[10]: 658–663).

It opens: "I think I voice the sentiments of the medical profession when I
state that cerebrasthenia is the bane of the American brain-worker. To the
least attentive observer of vital statistics and mortality tables the
appalling fact stands aghast and unchallenged, that in the early and
subsequent constant struggle, whether it be for honors and riches, or
simply for an existence, twenty years of brain work, although possibly
eventuating in the successful achievement of the desired end, but too often
result in cerebral bankruptcy, in presenile debility, and in physical as
well as in mental prostration. Under those circumstances, virility
ill-supported by a previous vigorous youth, is narrowed down to a few years
of constant exhaustive struggle and prematurely merges into a pitiable
condition of early and unseasonable decline and decay."

Dietary remedy from the good doctor: " The diet should be restricted to
warm fluids, such as milk alone or with arrowroot, gruel, beef tea, etc.
Milk and Apollinaris water constitute an excellent diet. Meat should be
stricken out entirely from the dietary until the patient has made
considerable improvement."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8952586/?page=1

On Tue, Feb 6, 2024 at 11:00 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:

> "Knowledge worker" is pretty old, OED has it back to 1962.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> Emily Gordon <emdashes at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 1:47 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Thinking class / Cognitive class / Knowledge class
>
> I first saw the term "knowledge workers" in David Allen's productivity book
> "Getting Things Done" (2001). Very patronizing! I'm sure "desk workers"
> goes back a lot longer.
>
> On Tue, Feb 6, 2024 at 10:01 AM Z S <zrice3714 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > In the recent discussions surrounding emerging technologies, I've heard
> > these three terms (the first time in my life), and I was shocked that
> these
> > terms even exist (and that they're used so freely).
> >
> > Wondering if these are recently coined, or much older...
> >
> > Best,
> > Zola S.
> >
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