Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-02-12
For the Freeman.
A Chat with the Family.
No. 10.
BY AGRICOLA.

The principles of hygiene are not con
fined to bodily health. The mind has il
conditions of health and disease, of Woo
and debility, as well as the body, an
these conditions are us really the result G
definite causes. The mental philosophe
has too little regard for the body us HI
explains the operations of thought an,
feeling. The study of mental in their re
lations to bodily phenomena belongs f
the physologist The two systems mr.
unexpectedly connected and have Il power
lu reaction, the one upon the other.
The problem to be solved relates not t,
mind IN separate state, but to mind ant
body us bound together in living unity
and the Psychologist must take the gus
ton us he finds it. Years ago, DR.. En-
mons preached two sermons to prove thn
the mind is located in the head, and tn,
moral affections in the breast. Withou
stopping 10 discuss these points, it is gen
orally conceded that the brain is the orrn,
OF the mind, and that its visible NANTES
latlons appear through its actions. But
he Drain, like other parts Of the body, i.
subject to waste and repair, and on &C
count Of its peculiar structure these
changes take place more rapidly in Other
parts of the system. BY these changes
mental operations are affected If the
BRAIN is IN II healthy CONDITION, the mind
will be also. If the former is diseased
the latter must suffer. Both seem to he
governed by the same laws 1t must fol-
low, therefore, that whatever improves the
PHI steal condition of the brain improves
the mind, and whatever deteriorates the
brain impairs the mind. The brain is
exhausted 10y thinking, in the same sense
hat the muscles are exhausted by acting.
Both alike require rest and nutrition tc
restore them 10 their native vigor.
The plovince of mental hygiene is to
consider the causes which disturb the liar
mony aud impair the vigor of mental ac.
ton. As the health of the body and mind
depends upon the same conditions, all that
have written concerning the laws OF
physical health has bearing upon mental
sanity also. The causes of mental de
langemcnt are two,fold, moral end phys.
zeal. The first take effect through the
mind Anxiety, ovcr~study and reverscs
Of fortune are examples. The latter
operate directly upon the physical system.
Such is blood poisoning by fever, Cr the
use OF narcotics, or some injury upon the
head.
Still again, there are predisposing and
exciting causes which produce mental de-
rangement. The first act remotely and
the second seem TO result from some sud-
den shock which over powers the mind.
Stlll, II is more likely that there are pre-.
disposing causes, even when the final
catastrophe is sudden and unexpected
We cannot know all the conditions of in
sanity, but we may trace the more evil
dent causes, rs seen in the effects of bodily
changes upon the mind.
AS | have said, q healthy brain becomes
exhausted and suffer, waste by prutrac ed
ment u effort. Whe this is the case, he
organ must be restored BY ret and nulri
Uon. Perfect nutrition is Il condition of
mental health, and imperfect nutrition is
The cause of dlsordered mental
manifestations. And as nutrition is de-
pendent upon full supply of blood, the
quantity and quality of the blood trans
mittcd 10 the brain must have much to do
with the normal condition of that organ.
Undue ACTIVITY Of weakly organized
brain INDUCES II state Of morbid congestion.
Seasonable rest is ii good remedy.