Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-04-08

some interest There Is n case on re-
cord of n gentleman affected with signs
wise direction of the thoughts, and
can bc greatly Rmended by resolute
effort to divert them into more natural
channels. The fact is, that thought
directed to our own bodily organs Is a
violation of one of the main laws Of
our nervous system, which provides
that all the vital processes shall he car
ried on by an unconcious mechanism.
of lncipient insanity utter great ankle
~ In business, who freed himself Ell
tirely from them by rcsolutely study
ing mathematics. And il we connOt
all be students, helping others In their
troubles Is q resource always Mt hand,
and meyer Ineffective In hiding us to
forget our own. Another relief ffes in
nm improvement of the bodily condi-
tions, which may often be brought
about by very simple means, such as
n better ventilation of our rooms, or a
little more exercise in the Open air,
One of the most important laws TO re-
member respecting the nervous SYSTEM
IL, that its activity IL prompted and
regulated by eternal impressions, its
object being emphatically to bring us
us into relation with the eternal world.
Its health accordingly demands that
these impressions should be. transmit-
ted to 1t In due abundance and of the
right kind and two of the chief sour
ccs from which they Nrise are the skin
and the lungs. Hence, besides the pri-
mary necessity of fresh air to breathe,
and pure water to wash in, for the
nccdful publication of the blood, these
have another use, only second In im-
portance to tiic first,-that of feeding,
by the influx of pieasurable sensa-
tions, the very life az the brain, Hehsc
the Immediate. cxhilaration felt on
drawing deep breath of purer air and
the keen sense OF enjoyment which
follows bath. 1t Is not long before
the blood, and through 1t the whole
body, feels the influence of these ben-
eiicial agents, but the brain, through
its quicker messengers, responds at
once. 49,
1t is in all probably shicny of i'm
prcssions through the skin and lungs
that pleasunble GoMdition which
we calf good "tonc" consists. BY
these the brain is kept, rs 1t were, girt
up, and the man IL possessed with de-
licious half-consciousness of latent
power.
The very opposite condition to this
10 that most wretchcl one i'm which
every organ Of the body seems to send
| to the brain its own special sefisatiOn
of distress, and life becomes little else
than morbid feeling of the body.
Sometimes this kind of suffering de-
1 pends on dccp-scatcd disease, and re-
| qttifes, even II 1t docs not battle, the
| utiiitjst skill of the physician but Mt
Others it Is greatly the result. Of an un-
| We cannot bring the brain "a bear up
on those parts of our bodily life which
are committed to the inferior portions
of the nervous system, without der
angling brain and body alike. The
nervous power thus sent in excess to
organs already amply supplied, acts
as u disturbing agent up0h them ;
/ while, at the same time, abnormal
| channels, rs ii were, are opened fr''ii
| the lower ganglia TO the contributions,
through which useless impressions, all
| of them painful, gain access to our con-
ciousncss. 1t IL most important ia
avoid anything like concentration OF
our thoughts upon any of the vital
processes.
1t il scarcely necessary to refer egair'
to the influence which the eIhdtions
exert over the body, of which we arc
conscious every hour, alike in love or
anger, hope, or fear. Yet il may not
be amiss to remark that the morally
good emotions are more healthful than
the contrary ones. Seliishncss, cruelty.
jealousy, rage, ,irt sloN Ebisons Ia tn,
blood; all that produce llAbpincss arS
cordials. But IL did not need the mod
ern advance of science tO teach us how
"a cheerful countcnancc docth gOod
like a medicine"
But one thing we have come to un
destand better in modern times, ant
that isl why too stern n control of til,
expression of emotion prcys upof
Health; why coHccGtDleRt acts especi
ally the part of the worm in the bud
All emotions are attended with chan
ges In the convolution of the brain
and these changes generate fore
which must operate In some way. Tn,
natural actions by which the passion
express themselves are the channel
provided by nature for this force
which thus contributes to the grac
: and dignity and Joy Of life; or at leas
provides signals OF danger. But ther
Is risk alike in the too free indulgenc
of these natural expressions, and II
their absolute repression; the fOrme
tends 10 give passion too great a mas
terry over us, the latter forces the pow
: or which would thus innocently cS
pend itself into hurtful channels
: Thrown back absolutely upon the In
tcrnal organs, the force which emotion
, generates derrangcs the operation {
the other nervous centres, and may b
D the starting-point of long disease. q
similar grounds exercise is found
remedy for many forms of nerve dis
!. tress. The ovcr-cxcited brainis n
4 Iievcd by muscular eXertions whic
\ tend to draw OFF its force.
But TO attempt To point out all th
: relations which the nervous systeI
!, bears to the other bodily powers woul
u he an endless task. They intermirg
$ at all points. 1t is happy for us thi
p amid SO much evidence of the subje'
y ton of the mind 10 the demands of i
= material servant, we can point 10 I
: much evidence Of It's freedom. I'll
s cases are not few in which the soul III
u scared In the highest regions, viii
u the body has been sinking under d