Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-06-18

to be the result of inflammatory
or other LESSONS, and not neuralgia at all,
according to that accurate definition which
regards neuralgia as purely nervous dis
ease. This error in diagnosis is an unfor-
tunate one, since it leads persons to neglect
serious physical disturbances which might,
if attended to in season, be corrected, and
the patient entirely restored. Neuralgia,
like gout and hay-fever, is regarded as a
disease of the higher classes, as indicating
| fine nervous organization and better
blood than flows in the veins of the masses
and I'm afraid this leads some foolish
women to cherish their neuralgias as they
would any other mark of social distinction.
The motion is founded upon a mis-
conception of physiological principles
and relations. The thin, delicate,
small wasted American girl, with
her blue bloed flashing through skin as
transparent as porcelain, her sensitive
nerves which make her a martyr to neural.
gias, is less fine animal-if we like to con-
slider her in that light only-than her Eng
lish sister, whose beauty is perhaps of
coarser type, but of a more enduring
quality, and whose nerves, not less fine
hCOA anu diS uOusSO
sounder tissue, fed upon richer blood,
nourished by more perfect digestion and
more generous nutriment. In ten years
the fine, nervous organization of the Amer
lean girl will have broken down the in
strument will be out of tune the trans
parent complexion grown sallow the face
haggard the temples sunken; the eyes
set in purple hollows. And this when her
English friend is fat, and fair, and rosy.
Now, | do not think that the fine,
nervous organization, so-called, is of
any better material than the common
clay of our physical human natures, or
that it signifies any more delicate spiritual
forces at work under the material, any
more refined perceptions, or tastes, or
feelings, or any more exalted mental
power, or any underlying vein of genius.
What it does signify is probably want of
equilibrium in the physical constitution
some fault of nutrition by which the
nerves are defrauded of their pabulum.
In other words, the delicate, nervous Or
ganization is an unsound organization
Sensitive nerves indicate disease some
where in the nervous system, just as truly
as sensitive lungs indicate a faint of scrofu.
losis, or some other allied vice of the blood.
Let us rid ourselves of the notion that it is
fine thing to be delicate let us not
fancy supersensitive, nervous organiza-
tion any mark of high breeding. 1t is a
fine and beautiful thing to be well, to have
every bodily function in perfect order.
to be sound, and strong, and hardy, to
have that reserved force of body which
can bear an extra strain now and then and
NOT fall short nd .rbioh ,,,,ll Ialk H.
sit lightly upon us when their number be-
come somewhat formidable. And to that
end we must attend to the little warnings
which are often kindly premonitions of i'm
pending danger. 1t is only neuralgia says
the young girl. "The Doctor says it is
nothing but neuralgia" says the over
worked woman, and she goes on taxing
herself just as before. Now, note this
Neuralgia is one of these warnings which
should be needed. There is no neuralgia
without weakness or disease somewhere,
either constitution or local, and where
neuralgia exists measures should always be
taken to tone up and strengthen the sys-
tenn generally. To relieve the paroxysms
and prevent their recurrence This
is the indication. Among the fore
most local anodynes is water, hot
and cold. The pain is apparently capri
cious. What will relieve one case will
exasperate another. The apparent Ca.
priciousness is, however, probably ac-
counted for by general principles which
we do not fully understand. After middle
life neuralgia may result from an undue
determination of blood to particular
part. There is degeneration of the walls
of the arteries and of the smaller vessels
as we'll; they yield under the influx of
blood, and painful pressure is made upon
the nerves of the part. In this case warm
applications would still further relax the
vessels and increase the pain, while cold
water or ice would constringe them, repel
the blood, relieve pressure and ease the
pain. This may be one reason why low
temperature will suit one case and be ut
terly unadapted to another. Ii hot appli-
cations fail to relieve, cold ones should
always be tried. Correspondent Chicago
Tribune.