The Wilmingtonian., 1886-07-03
HEALTH HINTS.
Mental Overwork and Premature nj,
ease.

Mental Oyerwork and Premature Dis
ease.
The Toner lecture, delivered by DIR.
Charles X. Mills, and recently published by
the Smithsonian Institution, is valuable
contribution to our knowledge of the relation
between mental overwork and premature dis
ease. 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 traceable to au
unusual or protracted strain upon the mental
faculties. The influence of anxiety, grief,
and other morbid states of the mind in in
creasiug the predispostiou to various dis.
cases, or adding to their gravity if already
existing, is a matter of feveryday observation.
In this connection it is only necessary to
mention rheumatoid arthrits, interstitial me-
phrtis, diabetes, and lithemia, as preemin-
ent among the affections which are unver-
sally admitted to follow prolonged grief, an
xiety, 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
tersely observes, "worry is in itself form
of brain work to worry means to cerobrate
intensely"
The Lecture was based upon study of six
ty cases of men prominent in political and
professional life, in all of whom loss OF
health or life was mainly attributable to ex-
cesSive brain work and braiu-stran.
Their actual occupations were Cabinet
officer, one senators, eight; representatives
in Congress, ten department officials, five !;
governors, two physicians, six lawyers,
seven; clergymen, two journalists, four !;
scientists, six teachers, seven.
Twenty-eight of the sixty, therefore, were
in political and official life and eighteen of
these were members of Congress.
Mercantile life is equally prolific of exam
pies Of premature failure of health, owing to
the anxiety and excitement attendant upon
the getting and losing of wealth in this era
of competition.
While brain strain is particularly 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 tine breakdown occurred
between twenty five and thirty years in two
cases, between thirty and forty in fourteen
cases, aud between forty and fifty in eieh-
teen cases. Of the remaining twenty-six
cases, seventeen broke down between fifty
and sixty, and nine between sixty and sew.
enty. In every instance, however, sudden
or unusual brain. work, or strain terminated
the careers of those who were apparently
destined to live from five to twenty years
longer.
Fortunately, mental exhaustion manlfests
Itself by several definite premonitory symp-
toms, which, if needed, may enable a fatal
issue to be averted. The most prominent OF
these early warnings are, as DR.. Mills ouser-
yes, the symptoms of the affection conven-
iently termed acute neurasthenia, and are as
follows: LIST. Certain psychical symptoms.
such as excessive irritability of temper; de-
preston of spirits morbid impulses or feais;
| constantly recurring thoughts or phrases :
impairment of memory, and changes iu hab-
its and methods Of work. 81. Laxity or
immobilty of countenauce. 3D. A diminu-
tion or loss of physical resisting power. 4th.
Heart failure. 9th. Sleeplessness. 9th.
Pain or distress in the back of the head or
neck. 7th Nervous dyspepsia
These symptoms are in all probability due to
impairment or the regulating and inhibtiug
power exercised by higher cerebral centres
-rS'- ss.o O'tiv'V ''siS' Estttitv tuuuUtti.
in the medulla oblongata. This impairment
results from the over-stimulation aud conse-
quent exhaustion Of the higher c i, ebral cen.
tres dependent upon undue ltelloctual exel
tion.