The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-04-06

taking food-any of these causes,
and others similar, are sufiient to
cause an organic wreck, which,
left to its own fate, would soon
break up from progressive internal
failure of vital power" Much
that sfollows on this subject we
commend to genera attention
without, however, expecting that
what the learned writer says will
be of any practical avail. Anoth-
er cause for the undue shortening
of life which has not yet been re-
ferred to is the intense mental
strain prevalent among literary
men, artists, statesmen, judges,
and some other classes. If not
new feature in society, this ment-
fal strain is at least more conspicu-
GUS than it was formerly, because
the struggle to attain high re-
wards is greater and more de-
pendent on individual exertion
that it seems to have been in past
and less exacting times. In short.
the arrangement of the nervous
system leads to no end of func-
tional arrangements N the heart,
stomach, and so on, in all which
are found reasons why so many
of our most eminent nObilities are
removed ere they reach fourscole.
They fall victims to a needless,
certainly unfortunate, everlasting
of the brain. Medical men in
high practice, through well aware
of the dangers of professional
exhaustion, are not always exempt
from the charge of being careless
of their ewn health. The wiser
among them endeavor to limit
their hours of work, and st the
proper season retreat to the coun-
try for the sake of invigorating
rural sports. But for these pre-
cautions, the death rate among
London physicians would be very
much greater than it is. The late
Sir Henry Holland is known to
have greatly heightened his days
by habitually making long
Autumnal tours over the globe,
always returning invigorated for
fresh work. The very common
practice among people in business
eff taking a months holiday at
the seaside, or some inland health
full resort-a practice immensely
facilitated by railways and steam
boatS-has the same beneficial
tendency. AS regards the salu-
terry results of checking the men
tai strain in literary labor, we
could speak from a degree of per-
sonal experince. We have in town
or country, whether in Winter or
Summer-never written a line
after 9 o'clock at night. When
that hour strikes the ink-glass
is shirt up, the pen and paper
laid aside, and the mind is allow
ed to calm down before returning
to rest. The rule is peremptorily
followed with the best conse-
quences. In the varied pressure
of memorable circumstances it may
not be possible to he so extremely
guarded. Lives are abruptly lost,
the most precious In the com
munity. He, however, who falls
in the fair fight of life, though
mistaken has been his eagerness,
may be said to fall nobly. It is
a considerably different thing
when men shorten their days
through luxurious indulgences,
in wanton disregard of rules es-
sential to the preservation of
bodily health. Up till fifty Year,
of age, it perhaps signifies little
how some of these rules are ne
elected, because the constitution,
originally vigorous,resis or over
comes various deteriorating in
fiuences. At all events, there
may be no immediate mischief.
After fifty, and more particularly
sixty, a change has taken place.
The breathing, the digestive, the
clrculatory processes are less able
to endure tear and wear. A little
indiscretion may derange the
whole machine, and bring it pre-
maturely to a dead stop. It is
wonderful how much may be done
to protract existence by the habit
ual restorative of sound sleep.
Late hours, under mental strain,
are, of course, incompatible with
this solacement. On this topic
DR.. Richardson says it has been
painful for him TO trace the begin
ing of pulmonary consumption
TO late hours at "unearthly balls
and evening PARTIES" by which
rest Is broken and encroachments
made ON the constitution. But,
he adds. eff in middle age the
habit of taking deficient and ir-
regular sleep be still maintained,
every source of depression, every
latent form of disease. is quicken
ed and intensified. The sIeepless
exhaustion allies itself with ell
other process OF exhaustion, or
IL kills imperceptibly, by rapid
introduction of premature old
age, which leads directly to pre-
mature dissolution" There, at
once, is an explanation why many
people die earlier than they ought
to do. They violate the primary
principle of taking a regular
nights rest. If they sleep, it is
disturbed They dream ali sorts
of nonsense. That is to say,lthey
do not sleep soundly or for any
useful purpose; for dreaming is
nothing more than wild imagina-
tive notions passing through the
brain while housekeeping or doz-
ing. In dreaming there is no
proper or restorative rest.-Cham-
ber's journal.