Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-04-23

lTlSutSs ttlldll tliCIifs IL oHSh q 'i."s) ~
practicable. upon my posterity Tor
their worth will be continually aug
menting. This may LOOK a litde like
advice, and yet have drank no Ma
|deira these six months.
From the SapaEah Gd=ette-
lON NERVOUS DEPRESSl0NS.
Persons whose circumstances in
life have been comparatively easy,
whose Education has been in some
degree refined, and who possess
great sensibility of feeling are the
most :exposed to nervous Affections,
The labor Of the poor, and the acti.
witty Of the busy, relieve them from
the burthen Of fashionable eHHui, and
the constant pressure Of ply steal
inconvenience, from the more ele.
CANT, but not less intolerable listless-
ness OF refined and romantic SEN
sibility, while superior intellectual
advantages Of education, open new
avenues to sorrow for the mind in
proportion as it is expanded. exposes
"a larger surface to impression.
But may not the first advances of
nervous depression be resisted, by
the individual sufferer, 10 the exec
else Of the remaining energy Of his
mind! How far tho toii!, indeed
may be brought TO operate towards
the counteraction OF this disorder,
is nice, and difficult, but at the
same time a very mOmeaious qacs-
ton. That rervous invatids. are
not to sc laughed ont of,hcir ai!iags
arc too obvious truth, and too
trits a remark TO be dwc,t upon.
Eut on the other hand, there is a
great moral, as well as medical OBJ
lection to "a passive and indolent ac-
quiescnec in that feeling. which con.
siders all the variety Of abe. alton, TO
Hhicb the sentimental part Of our
frame IS Isonc. az inevitable and in
vincible. SaUage relates the ease
Of q female who, was accustomed
TO ward off The violent psroxysms
Of disorder, by strenuous exertion.
Of the voluntary power AMI proia-
bly, the same effect, might much Of
teBer than is apprehended,he produc-t
ed by q similar determination OF the
part Of the patient. We are not to be
told, that the essence of the maladie,
in question consist often in a want of
contro! over that very power : the
exertioD Of this We venture 10 urge
as duty. To suggestions Of this
nature we would reply, let the pa
tent at least seize hold Of the lu.
cid interval, and whsa the enemy re-
tires for a season, let that season
bs so employed. as to reader the
frame less vulnerable TO future at
tacks. This rule might be made,
especially to apply TO the government
and regulation of Unconstitutional tenn
per,a greaterplacitiity and equanimi-
ty Of which we arc persuaded is in
the power Of the most trr;taJte, toI
procure tu himself than is Usually
allowed or imagined and that G.
ven independently Of these higher
motives which must regulate the
feelings and condact of those per-
sons, who are really under the in
fluence Of Christianity but merely
from sense Of The inGediate good
insured TO the indiyidr Il and 10 those
about him, by constant exercise &c,
self control. Even natural insanity
might in many in Nnces be crushed
infts birth by struggle apportion-
ed to the magnitude u the desired
object.
Let not the reader Of these re-
flection, suppose the writer is desti.
tute Of feeling for those who laEor
under nervous affections. they have
been too much laughed at he we'll
knows that under the influence of
some intense emotion, a man may
be made TO assume at once the im-
mobility Of marble, but he does not
in fhot coaa hpnan,p cfnnc with,