The Cecil Whig., 1881-12-03
WORRY.

The cause. or condition, which mos
commonly exposes the reverse of menta
energy to loss and injury is worry Tht
tone and strength oi' mind are Seriousl,
impaired by its wearing influence and
If it continue long enough. they will be
/ destroyed. It sets the organism o
/ thought and feeling vibrating with emo
tion% which are not c"nSomant with the
natnlal liberation pf energy in work.
| he "ii",r machinery is thrown ont OF
gear. and exercise. which would other
WIS" be plea>urabl" and innocuous. be-
come painful and even destructive. II
Is easy t" see bow this must be- The
longest uptc in music. the most steady
and persistent ray OF iiuht-to use an old
fashioned cXpresSun-t tonic muscular
! contraction. are all We know. produced
| hr a rapid Succession of minute motive
impulses "r acts. like the explosion and
di>cil"r-c Of electricity from alternately
connected aud separated points in cir
cunt: III fact. 4 Ser:cS cf vibrations. Men
tai energy douhtiess takes the same form
Of development. If disturbing ee-
nent is introduced by the obtrusion of
some independent source of anxiety. OF
If ont Of the business in hand the mind
makes Il diScord. confusion cpSueS. and
for the time being harmonious action
ceases. Working under these conditions
in obedience TO the will. the mental or
gani>m Su>tains injury which must be
great and may De lasting. The function
OF the warning sense is suSpcnded: the
reverse Is DO longer a stock IN allegiance.
and it ceases to give stability to the mind
the rhythm of the mental forces is inter
ruptcd: crash is always impending. and
too often sudden collapse occurs. The
point to be made clear is this: overwork
is barely possible, and seldom. if ever,
happens. while the mind is acting in the
way prescribed by its constitution and in
the normal modes of mental exercise.
The moment, however, the natural
ensucs, the mind is like an engine with
the sdiety-vaived locked. the steam
gague ialsified, the governing apparatus
out of gear; il breakdown may occur at
any instant. The state pictured is one
OF worry. and the besetting peril is not
depicted in too luid coors. The victim
al j. IN tb. Of,
trophe: if he escape, the marvel is not at
his strength of intellect SO much as his
good fortune. Worry is disorder, how
ever Induced, and disorderly work is alb
horrcd by the laws OF nature, which
leave it wholly without remedy. The
energy employed i'll industry carried on
under this condition is lavished in pro-
ducin9 4 small result, and speedily ex-
hau,ted. The reserve comes into play
very early in the task, and the faculty of
Iecupcration is speedily arrested. Some
times loss OF appetite announces the ces-
sat!on Of nutrition: otherwise the sense
Of hunger, present i'll the system. is for
time preternaturally acute, and marks
the fact that the demand is occasioned
by loss of power to appropriate, instead
Of any diminution Of supply. The effort
to work becomes daily more laborious
the task of fixing the attention grows ill.,
crea>iucly difficult, thoughts wander.
memory fails, the reasoning power is ell
ieebled; prriudice-the shade OF delunct
emotion ar some past perSuaSion-takes
the place o. Judgment; piiN steal nerve a..
BRAIN disturbance may Snprrvcne, an,
the crash will then come suddenly. uueA
pected by onlookers. nnperceived by til,
su.tercr himself. THIS is the HISTORY O.
&" wnrH. or disorder produced by me.
tai 'l;NIulctu,ie and distraction, occasion.
III! by PHYSICAL disease.