Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-08-31
The Nerves and " Tone"

WHAT Is the source OF this lrrltaOlllty
which renders it impossible to keep the
muscles still? We can answer, in general,
that irritability means weakness-it is a
tendency to too easy an overthrow of the
balance in which the living textures exist
the excessive action arises from too rapid
a decay. A philosophical physician COM
pares it to the whirling movement of the
hands of watch of which the main spring
is broken and the eminent French eXper-
imentalist, NJ. Claude Bernard, has thrown
light on this condition by pointing out
that an unnatural proneness to activity ex-
lists III every organ of living animal at a
period Immediately preceding the death of
the part. In our physical, as in our moral
nature, strength is calm, patient, orderly
weakness hurries, cannot be at rest, at
tempts too much. The force which, in the
living frame, binds up the elements into
organic forms, being relaxed, too easily
permits them to sink down, and Intellectual
mimicries of energy ensue.
But how is living strength to be insured
in respect to the functions we have spoken
of? The laws we have been tracing give
US partial answer to this question.
Strength in the living body is maintained
by the full but natural exercise of each Or
gan and as we have seen, the action of
these portions of the nervous sy stem is
made dependent upon the influences con-
! veyed to them by the sensitive nerves dis
| tributed over the various parts of the body.
| And among these the nerves passing to the
skin are the chief The full access of all
| healthy stimuli to the surface, and its free
dom from all that irritates or impedes its
| functions, are the first external conditions
| of the normal vigor of this nervous cir
Gle. Among these stimuli, fresh air and
pure water hold the first place. Sufficient
warmth is second. The great and even
wonderful advantages of cleanliness are
| partly referable to the direct influence of
skin healthily active, open to all the
natural stimuli and free from morbid irri-
tation, upon the nerve-centers of which
it is the appointed excitant. This influ
ence is altogether distinct from those
cleansing functions which the healthy
skin performs for the blood, and in any
just estimate of its value is far too impor
tant to be overlooked.
That slate of general vigor which W.
call "tone also depends upon the healthy
action of these nervous centers. 1t con
sists in an habitual moderate contraction
OF the muscles, due to constant stimulus
exerted on them by the spinal cord, and il
: valuable less for itself than as sign of ,
sound nervous balance. Tone is main
tanned partly by healthful impressions ra
6 dated upon the spinal cord, through tn,
nerves, from all parts of the body, AIT
partly by the stimulus poured down upol
: it from the brain. So it is disturbed b,
whatever conveys irritating or depressin!
infences in either direction. A single in
! judicious meal, a sleepless night, singl
passion or piece of bad news will destro,
it. On the other hand, vivid hope,
f cheerful resolve, an absorbing interest
"a | lxxrIlr 1r, No.
o man these lower officers in the nervou
: hierarchy draw their very breath accord
:, ing to the biddings of the higher powers
: But the dependence of the higher on tn
. lower is no less direct. The mutual az
= ton takes place in each line. A chic
4 condition of keeping the brain healthy
: to keep these unconscious nervous funt
= tions in full vigor, and in natural altel
: nations of activity and repose. Thu
L it is that (besides its effect in in
creasing the breathing and the gel
= eral vigor of the vital processes) muse,
4 lar exercise has so manifestly benefcii
- - influence on depressed or irritable stat
~ of mind. The bodily movement, by q
u u fording an outlet to the activity of tt
y spinal cord, withdraws source of irrit
ton from the brain; or it may relieve e,
a as citement of that organ by carrying off j
y ey energy into safe channel. We see ev
RI dence of the same law in the delightf
n; effect of cheerful walk, and the demar
hG hG for violent exertion, which is so freque
n, in insanity. Every part of the nervo,
n system makes its influence felt by all Il
rest. A sort of constitutional monarch
., exists within us; no power in this sms
=, a State is absolute, or can escape the chez
,e and limitations which the other powe
u u impose. Doubtless the brain is King; b
II i
he - a,ed "lu 1,,,ord tbo;r ,,r;r,i1aoo, ';tI =;
n 1 STc ~ &C pa,,st:tfs.: ~
49, personal realm is to be preserved intact,
o., .. must be by the efforts of each part, la,
% % fully directed to a common end.-Thoug1
10 on Health.