Morning journal and courier., 1882-12-04
Work and Overw ork.

Work, fairly proportioned to the powers,
 is good and healthy for the organism nc
 matter whether it be brain-work or body
 work. The full exercise of the powers, men,
 tai and bodily, is desirable and improves
 them so long as the demand is not excessive.
 But when the powers are called upon too
 freelv, then danger looms ahead Bodily fa-
 tigue manifests itself in lassitude, in unfit
 ness for exertion, compelling rest until the
 sense of vigor is once more experienced.
 Certainly, so far so good. But these sensa-
 tions are not always attended to, and too fre-
 quently are fought off by determination, and
 sometimes by resort to stimulants. Baron Justus von Liebig wrote thirty years about
 the workman who resorts to spirits in order
 to enable him to complete his task: 'He
 draws, so to speak, bill on his health, which
 must always be renewed, because for want of
 his capital instead of his interest, and the result is the inevitable bankruptcy of his body" The system contains reserve fund of energy upon which we can draw in emergencies, and this is known by the term physiological capital" The body income body expenditure is the daily outgoings. The excess of income over expenditure is the body capital. When the outgoings are less than the incomings an accumulation of capi- tai takes place in the body bank; just as is the case in the money bank, when more is paid in than is taken out accumulation follows The excess is termed the balance. Now, when business firms reduce their bal ance too far they are in danger of failure if any sudden and unforeseen demand be made upon them. In fact, if their balance be un- equal to the demand they may become bank drawing bill payable at certain date. In the meantime they set to work to provide the means to meet the bill when it falls due. If they succeed all is well. If their outgoings just equal their incomings such accumulation of means is impossible, and they become bankrupt unless they succeed in practically staying off -payment- by meet ing the bill Coming due by drawing another.-~1et the debt remains; and bill drawing is 8 costly service which means ! absolute ruin at no very distant period. Bu, during all this time there is the grave dange, of some new demand, for which no similar scheme will or can provide, for their credit ! is already mortgaged up to the hilt. Smasl then they must. Bankruptcy is the natura end of trading upon fictitious capital. Now { this illustration will make clear to the reader what is here meant about physiological bank ruptcy. It means the exhaustion of tht body capital and collapse before some nev demand. Daily we pay into the body banl ! so much, and every day draw out s. l much. Some days the paying in is far in ex cess of the withdrawal; then we feel ener- 1 getic. Many persons so circumstanced fee \ a craving for something to do A walk, ! row in a boat, game at tennis, anything ! that will safely take away the surplus energ. is acceptable. Animals are just the same l After day or two in the kennel the dog de lights in long days hunting. So with tn horse; after day or two in the stable he i 'fresh," as it is termed, and quite frolicsom { when first taken out. The cup is brimmin. ! over! On the other hand man and anima alike enjoy rest after 8 severe and prolonged ! exertion. But when the horse must worl every day his owner feeds him up-give
 him more stinulant food. This, however ! cannot go on forever. The horse is at las 1 found unequal to his work the veterinar, surgeon is called in, who pronounces hin
 fused up" and prescribes 8 course O ! ''grass." That is, the horse has to have
 long holiday, rest in the country, until h. ! is strong again.