National Republican., 1884-03-20
TIE TONER LECruRE.
Causes or Premature Decay Among Ameri-
can Statesmen.


The tenth lecture of the Toner course
For the Discovery of New Facts for the
Advancement Of Medicine" was delivered
last night at the National museum by DIR. c.
X. Mills, Of Philadelphia; subject, "Proma-
ture Disease in Public and Professional Mon
from Overwork"
Statistics of the death of men prominent in
public and professional life at VARYING ages
were given as also the average age of the in
tellectual man. Instances were cited of men
known in political life whose deaths were
due secondarily to causes arising from grave
anNictiCs, overwork, and overstraiuing of the
brain i'll the responsible duties falling upon
them. comparative death schedule Of
American congressman and English members
OF parliament was cited, showing that the
average age of the former was IS years and
of the latter 6S years. Among the American
congressman various causes were alleged,
primarily insomnia was a leading cause and
also nervous breakdown was another
Insomnia was a leading cause among many
who were forced by their duties to labor both
by day and night. Nervous break down was
indicated in many instances by pain in tho
neck and in the back of the neck. Irrcgu.
laritics in the habits of living aud diet added
much to its originatiou. Congressional lifc
was adapted to such Irregularities, from close
confinement, and arduous labors within the
committee rooms ana over indulgence in
social life creating thereby changed differ.
ence in former habits OF life, added to this
mental strain, worked the disasters with
results so familiar to the physician. The pre-
disposition to early decay in the American
was discussed, and too early education
and over taxation of the mental faculties
were conducive to evil results. Over estima.
tion of the brain power was frequently an
evil that might be corrected by substituting
the muscular powers. In brain work there
wero the same differences noticeable rs in
character and peculiar formations of the face
Brain of the right kind is conducive to lon
geVitv, and where defective its over taxation
inevitably follows with peculiar and signif-
cant results. Causes of this kind in Amer
ican public life are at work upon adults as
well upon the children in the schools. The
system Of college education was touched
upon. In speaking of the over taxing and
over straining of tho brain investigation
often showed anterior causes undcrly-
ing, such as hereditary or acquired
diseases. Anxiety formed leading cause to
the destruction OF the sensitive brain power.
Nervous and vascular diseases go hand in
hand, as found from pathological standpoint.
AT some length the necessities of q healthy
development of the brain were dwelt upon,
in order to accomplish a healthful and correct
action of the brain powers. Several proposi-
tons were advanced showing that the brain
If diseased in part necessarily was affected in
all. The structural anatomy of the brain was
then given i'll minute detail, and from
scientific standpoint the analysis and keen
of the working power and devel-
ment of the brain as set forth by the lecturer
was at the close of his lecture warmly ap-
plauded by his listeners.