Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-10-31
The Nerves..

wers to the fuel the nerve power to the
steam which moves the machinery, You
may clog your engine with too much
fuel, as the body with too much food.
You may use too little and get up such
poor head of steam as TO do little
work YOU may clog the whole, as the
boilers of some Of our Mississippi steam
boats, with dirty water, when they have
to send men in TO scrape off the mud
and incruslatons. You may let the
ashes gather and fill up the CRATE and
shut up the draft, and choke the fire
For the body, as for the steam engine,
you want good fuel, pure water, brisk
fires clear CRATES, clean boilers and a
rapid cleaning off Of all the refuse mat.
ter.
The fuller analogy might be with a
steam engine that is used to p'opel sey-
eral pieces of machinery, but never all
at once. 1t may not be equal to that,
and so they take it in turn. The nerve
power does the work of the body, pro-
pcls our legs, moves our armcs--our
tongues works the brain. digests the
food-for it is turned on to the stomach
when food is put into it, and therefore
cant as well be spared for brain, or
hands, or feet. Hence the advantage Of
a little rest after a full meal. 1t is not
laziness, it is wisdom. Men sec it for
their horses, and no man who is wise
will drive or ride a horse hard, directly
after feeding him But they sometimes
utterly disregard the rule for themselves.
The nerve power varies, like the pres
sure of steam, so many pounds to the
square inch, though it cannot be rcgu.
lated in the same way. Our supply is
rather weak in the morning; we can't
well do much hard work before break
fast One minister who distinguished
himself by long hours Of work in the
early morning, distingu shed himself by
IooSing his sight. The wear and tear
went to the weakest part We grow
stronger toward noon, going up with the
sun ana after TWO O'Clock begin to
Wane. WORK done late at night IS
greater tax upon the lie than that done
at noon. uTnng night INTO day, does
not answer the purpose, There SWon-
derlul power IN the light, wonderful VII
tue IN the suns rays
Brain work is more cNhaust'ng uses
up the nerve power laser than any sort
OF manual labor. And the brain is not
as aptto complain OF exhaustion. When
one IS very tired with hard work, the
body Will ache, that IS, the nerves which
carry the power. ne BRAN Will beara
great STRAIN, put 1t finally gives way.
And in these days OF driving business,
and long continued strain upon the
nerve power, with all at the highest ten
son, so many men and women break
down. APopIcXy, paralysis, insanity,
and other forms OF disease OF the nervous
system. The engine is worked with too
many pounds to the square inch, and
the weakest part gives away
One Of the busiest men of the age
and one who did an almost miraculous
amount of work, was a wise man. He
took recreation and rest even in the time
of highest pres ,urc. If he could,
slept. Even five minutes sleep will
sometimes give time for the nervous en-
ergy to relax the strain. If he could
not sleep, he Law down flat, relaxed ev-
cry muscle and let himself alone, even
! for few moments No one who has
not tried it can understand the relief and
relreshment that NAV be found in This
And many an over-wrought mother
working woman, working man, man off
b,;,,o,r, ,,;l. go. re llL