The Wilmingtonian., 1886-06-12
HEALTH HINTS.
Mental Over-work and Premature
Disease.

n. Mills, and recently puDllshed by the
Smithsonian Institution, is valuable con-
tribution to our knowledge of the relation
between mental overwoik and premature
disease. 1t is well known that intellectual
work, per Sc, is not Injurious to health or
life, but every physician has met with cases
in which sudden failure of the mental or
physical powers was directly traoeable to an
unusual or protia tied strain upon the men,
tai faculties. The influence Oranxety, grief,
and other morbid states of the mind in in-
creasipg the predisposition to various dis
eases, or adding to their gravity if already
exstiUg,is a matter ofeveryday observation.
In this connection it is only necessary to
mention rheumatod arthrtis, interstitial
nephritis diabetes, and lithenia, as pre-
eminent among the affections which are uni
anxiety, or other form of mental worry. 1t
is too often forgotten though, that mental
depression is frequently synonymous with
mental exhaustion. AS Dr.. Mills truly and
teisely observes, ivory is in itself form
of brain work +; to worry means to cerebrate
intensely"
The lecture was based upon study olsix-
ty cases OF men prominent in political and
professional lie, in all of whom loss of
health or life was mainly attributable TO
excessive brain work aud brain-strain.
Their actual occupations were cabinet Of
ficer one senators, eight representatives
in Congress, ten department officials, five
governors, two; candidates for important
offices, two physicians, six lawyers, seven;
clergymen, two journalists, four scientists,
six !; teachers, seven,
| Twenty eight of the sixty, therefore, were
in political and official lfe and eighteen of
these were members Of Congress.
Mercantile life is equally prolific of exam
| pies of prem iture failure of health, owing to
the anxiety and excitement attendent upon
the getting and losing of wealth in this era
of competition.
| While brain strain is pal ticularly danger
Gus to those who have passed the prime of
life, the risk that it entails at all ages is
shown by the fact that in the sixty cases un-
der consideration the break down occurred
between twenty five and thirty years in two
two cases, between thirty and forty in four
teen cases, and between forty and fifty in
eighteen cases. OF the remaining twenty
six cases, seventeen broke down between
fifty aud sixty years, and nine between sixty
and seventy. In every instance, however,
sudden or unusual brain-wOrk, or strain, ter
minated the careers Of those who were ap-
parently destined to liyc from five to twenty
yeals longer.
Fortunately, mental exhaustion maui
tests itself by several definite premonitory
symptoms, which, if needed, may enable a
fatal issue to be avertel The most promi-
inent of these early warnings are, as Dr. Mills
observes, the symptoms Of the affection CON
veuently termed acute neurasthenia, and are
as follows LIST. Certain pSychical symp-
toms, such as excessive irritabity of tenn
per depression of spirits morbid impulses
or fears constantly recurring thoughts OF
phrases impairment of memory, and changes
i'll habits aud methods OF work. 2d. Laxity
or immoblity of countenance, 81. A di.
intuition or loss of physical resisting power
4th Heart failure. 9TH. S!eeplessness. 9th
Pain or distress in the back of the head OF
neck. 7th, Nervous dyspepsia
These symptoms are in all probability due
to impairment Of the regulating and inhbit,
ing power exercised by higher cerebral cen
tres upon the centre of organ c function, sit.
, uated in the medulla oblongata This i'm,
, pairment results from the over-stimulatior
and consequent exhaustion of the higher
cerebral centres dependent upon undue in
telectual exertion An overworked nerv,
) will waste as well as an overworked muscle
"Every mental act is asso lated with som,
molecular change in the gray matter of tht
cerebral convulutiOns. When mentalizatiot
proceeds beyond the limits which are practi
calIy fixed for every individual, exhaustion
defective nutrition, and some times cell afro
ply results" As consequence, variUu,
vaso-mutor or airophic changes result,w icl
culmiuate in grave disease.
Another danger which must not be over
looked, is that uverwuik of any portion
of the brain means overwurk of the vessel
going to that put. L. is impossible to sub
ject vessels anywhere to frequent increaset
5 pressure without producing disease of thci
walls, or exposing Them to the risk of Iup
ture if such d sease already exists. In flu
cases of the $ 're, umd r consideration deiti
was caused by cerebral hemorrhage, un
dOubtedly the result Of undue pressure upOl
: atherJmatous arteries. In uther cases, hy
pel@mia and minute hemorhages into tn
puns varolii and medulla oblOngata occu
after severe mental strain. Richardson re
cords the casa OF an overwOrked En.lisI
> statesman, who, while speaking upon
momentuus question in Parliament becam
faint and was compelled to retire Exam
nation showed that . had developed dabe
tes which ended fatally.
# DIR. Mills believes that the cause Of th
sudden disease in this case and the cause d
sudden death IN u Z eat many Others, are /
be found in eXtrdvasatiOns into the vitil re
:. gons of the medulla lie has examine
many cases Of sclerusis paretic dementia
and epilepsy, to discover, if possible, til
immediate cause Of death, aud iuvlrabl
found recent congestive and hemorrhagl
areas in the floor Of the fourth ventriclc, cor
tanning widely dllated vessels filled wit
II freshly cOagulated b,uJd, and ut times SUI
rounded by eXtravdN ,IDuS, These ohsely
tions agree with thnsi made by Won ID
KOlk ard Others, and Indicate the line {
= treatment which should be followed