The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1868-03-12
Brain and Body Work.

Brain and Body Work.
Psychologists, after patient and close
inquiry, have arrived at the important
and practical conclusion that the power
of the entire man, his vitality, is as
much expended by two hours of deep
mentab effort as by whole day of or
dinary bodily labor; this fact seems to
be founded on observed physiological
laws; hence, the man who spends four
hours in the twenty-four in earnest
mental labor, goes to the utmost allow
able limit for days work, and all the
time that remains, after deducting ten
hours for eating, sleeping and dressing,
should be conscientiously expended in
muscular exercises which require no
special brain effort, and such exercises
should always, by preference, be those
which are agreeable, useful and profit
able; for they not only promote the
healthful condition Of the body, but
give rest to the brain, which, by that
rest, recuperates its powers. Many can
remember, when turning back to their
school-days, that they have gene to
bed feeling that they did not know
their lessons, yet, on rising in the morn
ing, the mind would run over them
with a gratifying and surprising clear
ness. 1t is this which accounts for the
observation that persons have striven
hard to remember some important fact,
or as to where valuable papers have
been laid, and towards morning, when
the mind began to wake, little before
the body, this being the time Of dreams,
the point is made clear in the form of a
dream, thus showing that rest of the
brain, whether by actual sleep or the
passive, comparative rest which manual
labor affords, gives mental activity, Wig
or, perspicacity; from these it follows
that no form of muscular exercise is
ignoble in a student, brain-wOrker,
which has to be done by some one, and
by being done by him, will save money,
or will save the time of another, who,
perhaps, may already be Over-taxed.
How many servants are over-taxed
how many faithful, accomplishing
. wives are over-taxed and sons and
daughters sometimes, and clerks, and
apprentices, and other employees. In
every dwelling in large city, there are
many things which the master could do
which would reflect benefit on himself
and others also. Some of these may
be suggested: Get up by daylight,
: clear the snow from the sidewalks, kin
die two or three fires, ventilate your
parlors, keep the cellar well swept, split
up kindling- wood, after saving it your
self whitewash the cellar twice ayear
as also the fencing around the back
yard trim the eight or ten grape
vines which you ought to have agains
the fence; kill of the worms which in
: fest them in the summer; root out thu
clover and weeds from your grass-plat
keep your hundred feet of hower-bor
ders in perfect order; if you have
e library, dust your books, rearrang'
= them so that you may be able to pu
!, your hand upon them in the dark
needed; assert your pamphlets anC
magazines, so that no time may be los
should you want any of them in hur
: ry; in this way valuable time may b
: saved on occasions when you have n
! time to spare; then pump waterin you
: tank for twenty minutes every morn
! ing repair all the broken glass yourself
2 learn how to keep all cracks in the plas
! tering filled in with plaster of Paris
! keep your roof we'll painted; and, yo
) great big lazy hulk you, why mighn'
: YOU as well, when oil these things ar
= done, and you have any unoccupie
sine, help your wife darn some of tn
basketful of stockings or sew on tn
lost buttons of your boys who are
school; or trim their hair, and sew u
the rips in shoes, and cut down II
pegs or tacks in the inner soles, whiC
SO often do permanent injury to Il
g feet; keep their skates in order; hay
- grindstone of your own and an ire
vice, and keep all the knives sharp, an
the handles tight; learn how to mer
broken china and common delf; to tai
down carpets; to hang pictures;
take stains out of marble and wood
to replace mahogany veneeringi tore
e. der chair legs and backs firm; to ke,
Is as the tubs and barrels hooped up; lea
dc. how to make good -four paste, and ke
some always on hand, ready to mel
torn bank note, or paste a usei
newspaper scrap in some appropria
. place; or have book for domestic