Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-04
How to Escape Nervousn ess.

Nervousness is nervous weakness The prin.
cipal sign Of feeble nervous organization is an
excessive degree Of irritabilty of one or more
OF the organs of the body. If the nervous sys
tenn be weak, the organs to which the nerves
are distributed will also be weak. and a wea
organ is always an irritable one.
1t takes very little to throw such an organ
out Of its orderly course OF action. Some
slight cause or other acting on nervous
brain creates such a degree of irritability that
its possessOr feels as if he would like to ..iumr
out of his skin" or he may be thrown into a
parOxysm of intense emotional disturbance. or
sick headache, an attack of hysteria Oh
even more severe disorder may result A
nervous" eye or ear is annoyed by unusual or
persistent lights or sounds; nervous heart
palpitates and flutters after slight mental or
bodily exertiOn; q nervous stomach is irri-
tated by food which healthy baby could easily
digest, and the condition known as nervous
dyspepsia is induced; and nervous" spine.
TO specify no further. causes arrangements of
nearly all the organs Of the body. To cure these
various disorders is often difficult and some
times impossible. To prevent them even in
persons predispOsed to nervousness is compara-
lively an easy matter.
The whole hygiene of the subject is embraced
IN the sentence-Strengthesl the nervous ss;stesn
How is this to be dOne2
LIST. The first prescription is an ample suppEa
Of pure, fresh and cool air. The nerves viii al
ways be weak If the greater part of the day and
night be passed in Close ill-Yentilated and over
heated apartments. The nerves more than the
rest of the body, to be properly nourished, re-
quire full supply Of oxygen. They will not
endure vitiated air whether the impurities come
from sewers. gas-ghts, subterranean furnaces
or the individuals own person. without making
an energetic protest.
A gas-burner consuming four cubic feet of gas
per hour produces more carbonic acid in given
time than is evolved from the respiration of
eight adult human beings. Bear this in mind
You who suffer from nervousness, that when
you have shut yourselves up in your rooms and
lighted an argand burner (Which consumes
about twelve cubic feet of gas per hour) you
are to all intents and purposes ilnmured with
twenty-three other persons, all taking oxygen
from the atmosphere Is it a wonder that after
several hours exposure to the deprayed air
your nerves should rebel as far as their weak
state permits, and that your head should ache.
your hands tremble, and that your daughters
playing on the piano almost drives you wild?
An oyerheated apartment always eneryates
Its occupants. 1t is no uncommon thing to find
rooms heated in winter by an underground fur
mace up TO w. Fights and murders are more
numerous In hot than in cold weather, and the
artfcially heated air that rushes into our rooms
deprived as it is Of its natural moisture by the
baking IT has undergone, is even more produc-
tive OF vicious passions. 1t is surprising cir
cumstance, therefore, to find the woman who
swelters all day in such temperature. and adds
to it at night by superfuous bed-clothing, cross
and disagreeable from little everyday troubles
that would scarcely rutfle her temper If she kept
her rooms at 650 and opened the windows every
now and then.
I'd. Eat plenty of ,ceA-cooked and nou,.istia,q
food The nerves cannot be kept healthy on
Stops. Gruels, panadas and teas are we'll
enough in their way but the nerves require for
their proper nOurishment undluted animal and
vegetable food as rule the former should pre-
dominate. Meat-eaters are rarely troubled with
nervousness Americans eat more vegetables
than any other wel-tO-dO people, and they are
probably the most nervous nation on the face
OF the earth.
Sd. Take sufficient physical exercise in the
open air. When you ieel irritable tremulOus.
fretful, fdgety and unable to concentrate your
thoughts on the veriest trife, take long walk,
or split half cord of wood. Even the extreme
nervousness OF lunatics is best quieted by bodily
labor. The hOmicidal maniac who cannot II
kept In his cell be trusted with bOdkin NAV
safely be given spade, pickaxe or hoe, and set to
work in the garden. His irritability is quietly
led of into another and safer channel, aud his
nerves are strengthened
These are the principal rules II they were
faithfully followed, there would be less work
for US doctors to do.