The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-03-14
The Plea of overwork.

As n rule, we should say that the com
| plants of overwork are amongst the
most fiimsy of all the excuses set up by
men for the evils which they bring upon
til mselves. Very few people really
work hard and when they do il gcner-
! ally agrees with them. Directly or in
! directly, idleness does fifty times as
much mischief, for the best cure of the
| love Of excitement is steady application.
! 4 vast amount of good pity is thrown
away in the world aud, instead Of
solemnly warning our friends not to do
too much, we should find it simpler to
refuse the indirect compliment for
which they are maneuvering, and advise
them to relax their minds by n little
strenuous activity. When the danger
really exists, it may generally be rem
edied rather by redistributing the bur.
den than by diminishing it. A very
slight physical exertion may injure Il
man for life, If only he undertake it i'm
the wrong way. Try to lift n thousand
pounds weight by a sudden jerk, and
you may probably break a blood vessel
Divide the weight into ten portions, and
lift each calmly by itself, and the excr-
else may do you good. Run a mile af-
ter hearty meal, and you may be in
jured for life walk ten miles day. and
you may materially improve your
health. The same principle is appica-
bic to intellectual labor. To Icy down
any general rules is impossible, because
constitutions vary infinitely. One man
requires twice as much sleep as another;
one man can do work before breakfast
when another finds it answer better to
sit mp at night; and SO on. A few prac
tical rules will be learnt by practice.
The Lancet, for example, is sensible
paper on the subject, remarks upon the
Importance for men who work at night
of having a white, powerful, and steady
light concentrated upon their papers
Pickering and diifused light being one
of the most serious causes of brain ilTi-
tatiOn. Good food, with moderate
supply of stimulants, and a final pipe
before turning into bed, is n comforta-
bic recommendation of the same au-
thority; whilst, OF course, excess in to-
bacco and alcohol is a constant cause Of
the incapacity for sleep which is often
complacently attributed to Overwork.
The rule ia, in short, that man should
Take care that he gets good sleep and
keeps his digestion in order. A little
unprecedented observation of his own
symptoms viii teach man of ordinary
sense how to keep himself III health: /.
and, by IL judicious arrangement of his /
time and habits, he will find that he |
can do as much work with perfect i'm |
pUnity as will serve him, If he so 1
pleases, with an admirable excuse for /
committing suicide and becoming text /
for leading articles 1t is not overwork |
that should he denounced. but the bad /
habits for which work is made to serve /
as an excuse Eat too much, drink too |
much, smoke too much, and do every !
thing in hurry and at the wrong time, |
and five hours day may send you TO an
early grave. Show n little common
sense, and without injuring your health
you may be as voluminous an author as
Voltaire, or do as much legal or official
work as the most industrious minister
or barrister of the day, and see your
children's children, and laugh at the de
of the rising generation in the
twentieth century