The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-10-16
BRAIN WORK.


Appeton's Journal.
a favOrite theme with the editors of Sc
called health journals and household meC
zeal guides is that of 4" ovcr-work," and $
much has been written on this subject am
of such Il nature, that, were we to believ
and act upon the advice thus given, tn
world would become almost hive o
drones. We confidently believe that =
far as honest brain work goes, the NOR
we do of it the better, and, if owing to
reckless disregard of recognized hygieni,
and sanitary laws, an occasional :" stud
| ent finds an early grave, let the blame
be put where it belongs and not credited
to the worthy zeal that some call over
work" Having long held to this opin
ion, and believing that facts would sus
| tain us, we are gratified to find that an
eminent English physician has given ex-
preston to a like view, and, coming as it
| does from one so high in authority, we
trust it will receive the attention from
both students and drones that it deserves.
We condense from Dr. Wilk's commune
cation, as it appears in the Lancet, as fol-
lows:
After answering the simple question
Are people suffering from overwork ?"
with a decided "No?'' the writer says ::
=" Medically speaking, | see half dozen
persons suffering from want of occupa-
ton to one who is crippled by his labors.
Very often when a business man COM
plains of being overdone; it may be found
that his meals are irregular and hurried,
and that he takes no exercise, is rather
partial to brand y-and-sOda, and thinks it is
not improper to poison himself with mic
otine every night and morning.
Passing from man to woman, the case
is made to appear even more severe. 1t
is not overwork, therefore, that is to be
deprecated, provided the work is legiti-
mate and such as to claim normal eX-
ercise of the functions The brain is an
engine of many horse power; its energy
must be accounted for in some way; if
not used for good purposes it will be for
bad, and Mischief will be found for idle
hands to do" So the work is actually
Il safeguard. The human body is made
for work, and just as the muscles are bet
ter prepared for work by previous train
ing, so the nervous system, whether it be
the brain or spinal column, becomes more
energized by use.
1t is only during sleep that the brain
is actually inactive, and hence, if we
will not give it work to do, it will find
that to engage its energy, even though
Ill inc cIlu tut ltDOT hlIcT
referring in a plain though hardly gentle
the frivolities of life "sadly busy" the |
writer contrasts them with those whose
minds are never at rest, and yet who |
live to good old age. AS the closing
passages are not only truthful as to facts, |
but of value by the..suggestions they con-
tain, we are prompted to quote them at |
length, and should there be among our |
readers some of these Overworked "
brain-workers,~ they will find in these |
words sage counsel and encouragement. !
The writer refers to the honest, cheerful, |
but constant workers as follows: "Prac- |
tically they have no rest, for, when one |
object of study is complete, they COM
mence another. 1t is by the happy fac
ulty of diverting the powers into indif-
ferent channels that this is accomplished.
Instances might easily be quoted of |
judges, and members of our
profession, who know no absolute rest,
md who would smile at the suspicion of
hard work injuring any man. | make it
l custom to ask young men what their
second occupation is, what pursuit have
hey besides their bread earning employ
ncnt. Those are happiest who possess
some object of interest, but | am sorry
to say there are few who find delight in
my branch of science. The purely sci
,ntific man finds his best recreation in
literature and arts, but even in intellect
lal work so many different faculties are
employed that a pleasant diversion is
ound in simply changing the kind of la.
Dor. For example, ajudge after sitting all
lay and giving his closest attention to the
letails of the cases before him, may yet
ind relief in his evenings by solving
in mathematics. The subjecl
If overwork, then, is one of the greatest
to study, and has to be dis
.ussed daily by all of us, My own opin-
on has already been expressed, that the
wills attending it.on the community at