Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-06-12
NUMBER "a.
OverwOrked Brains.

DIR. William A. Hammond recently con
,ributed al article TO the Youths Compan
ron upon "Brain Oyerwork, and Some of il
Consequences. IL was made specially in
terestlbg by the stories Of patients who hav,
come under his own treatment The frs
effect OF an excessive use of the brain, sav,
DIR. Hammond, is generally wakefulness
IL is easy 10 understand Why this should b,
the case when we bear in mind how sleep i.
produced. As | shall have occasion here
after to say few words with special refer
ence to the physiology of sleep, it will suf
| nee al present for me to mention the fac
that exact observations have shown thai
sleep IS caused by the blood in measur,
howIHg out of the vessels Of the brain into
those of other parts of the body.
Of course anything that prevents the dim
mutton of the quantity of blood in the brain
prevents sleep. Every time an individual
thinks, II It be only for the hundredth par,
OF second, every time his emotions are ex.
cited, the vessels Of the brain enlarge and
the quantity Of blood they contain is in.
creased.
Normally, As soon as the thought has
| passed and the emotion has faded away. the
vessels contract, and when sleep is coming
on they diminish still more in caliber. Bu,
II person thinks too much, and especially
II he Is anxious about some important mat
ter, there is no opportunity for the vessels
TO become reduced in size. They mus, re-
main full of blood in order that the brain
may do the work required. The tension is
thus kept up too long, and eventually, like
all over-distended bodies, they lose their
elasticity, and then return 10 their normal
dimensions IS no longer possible
Most Of my readers have doubtless seen
the India rubber bands which are used for
the purpose Of keeping packages together.
If the package is somewhat large, and the
band Is kept around it for long time. the
band, when removed, does not return to its
original size. II is exactly the same with
the blood vessels OF the brain \ condition
OF congestion j, thus produced which is
fraught with danger to those who do not
heed the first warnings
Chief and earliest of the premonitions is
wakefulness. The vessels Of the brain refuse
to contract they remain gorged with blood
the mind is in consequence active, and sleep
such as is required is not to Le obtained
Toward morning, perhaps an hour or two
Of disturbed slumber NAV ensue but il does
little good, and the sufferer gets up 10 20 TO
work utterly unfit for either mental or physi-
cal ,. eSeIiion;
Instead of the calmness natural to 4 per
son who has passed the night in sound and
refreshing sleep, he i excited and weary.
the most trialng event anroys him, he is dis
Stee"o'e 20 r. iahiis ana friends, and he
.TeS 'h"' ne - hot fapao!e OF sustained
.NJ'g"' q % u''pasSionate Judgment
nav A'io"h many persons to suffer
aea'! losses nom attempting TO do business
"heh 'hetF ora!H'. from want OF rest that
o'ne' VI" sie'P' we're ny competent to do
WIN 'h"foueA"tN' ana eAactness the mental
"olS requisite 'or success
hv lar ne most influential factor IN caus-
'ns "aAetu'neSS Is emotional excitement,
lhd oi the emotions most powerful in this
uTectioh anxiety comes first. suppose
mere Is more or less anxiety attendant upon
an business operations, but certainly those
"ho are engaged ~ stock speculatlons ap-
pear 10 the 10 oe most Hao!e to be affected
Win Anxiety Not even the certainty Of dis
aH'ef so enectuallv wears away the brain as
Tue uncertainty which exists with the great
mass OF transactions relating to stocks.
The Operator" after having perhap, psssed
an almost sleepless night, goes down town
IN the morning, knowing that he must ob-
tain S2OO,0OO OF $500 900 hy.a .aala,,L, ,e
irrn.' 'otnN, anu i,o' Alo~'"h III
money is TO come rom J iooa ansr
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