Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-08-01

There are good many kinds Of head
ache. In these days the nervous head
ache is very distinct variety. It is
generally in the front of the head, across
the forehead, over the eyes. But u
may be in other parts-at the top of the
head, at one or both sides. at the back,
or all over. 1t is painful, depressing,
disabling. A man feels, at the height
Of the paroxysm, like hunter who has
galloped his legs clean off, and who
could not leap three foot ditch to save
his life. The spur is of no use, neither
is the whip. The pain in the head is
worse to bear than either, and the patti
ent will rather endure lboth whip and
spur than make any kind of effort
which will make the head pain worse.
Physic by itself Is of no use. There is
not a single drug known to medical
science which will of itself at once and
permanently cure a nervous headache.
On the other hand, drugs are not al
ways needed. A complete change of
air and circumstances will usually
take away the pain in ten or twelve
hours. Perfect rest, of duration pro-
portiOned to the severity and long con-
tinuance of the symptoms, will make
course, methods of relieving or dimin-
ishing the pain until such time as it
may be possible to obtain the complete
rest. But the rest Is the thing to be
secured at all costs. If not, the pain
goes from bad to worse, and the risk
from less to greater. The final eonse-
quence it is impossible to predict, ex-
cept that breakdown is sooner or later
inevitable, and the breakdown may be
for year or for lifetime. A nervous
headache is a danger signal; if it be fire.
quent, the danger is increased; if it be
continuous, catastrophe Is imminent.
I. The driver must put on his brake at all
hazards. or he will probably soon have
, leap for his life. There are very few
circumstances in which it is a mans
duty to go on with his work when he is
in this condition, at all risks. Even a
threatened bankruptcy had better be
risked than threatened life.. Besides,
man who is in the unyielding grip of
permanent nervous headache is not
really the best judge of his own circum-
stances. He magnifies and distorts
things amazingly. He takes counsel of
his fears, and abandons his hopes and
courage altogether. Rest, we repeat
sovereign remedy. A fortnight at once
may be better than year six weeks
hence. A weak heart seems to be de-
cidedly more practically inconvenient
than a weak head. If man or wo-
of the brain, it is generally of little
moment. Some post or other will be
provided if the conduct be respectable;
/ I'd La oFk kro &C. 4, -
, cite any particular attention either in
the person concerned or in those about
him. But q weak heart insists upon
putting itself in evidence at all sorts of
convenient and inconvenient times.
If its possessor finds himself rather late
for his morning train and makes a
"spurt" to recover lost time, the exer-
tion is usually followed by such "bad
quarter of an hourn that he resolves in
future rather to lose dozen trains than
to risk temporary suffocation or per-
manent syncope again. The practical
evils that are associated with feeble
heart are innumerahle, and will readily
suggest themselves to those who possess
r so unsatisfactory pumping engine.
s Weak hearts are by no means so COM
, mon as is supposed. Many man who
thinks he has got one is merely dys.
peptic; many woman owes her symp-
toms to tight lacing or insufficient
I feeding. If the dyspepsia be cured, OF
{ the tight lacing be dispensed with, the
symptoms of heart weakness will dis
appear. Even when the heart is gen.
timely "weak," the weakness Is not al
ways due to special disease of that or
gan. 1t may be only part of general
weakness to the whole system, which
Is easily durable. The late Sir Robert
Christison, one of the most eminent of
British physicians, used to smile at
certain persons who were always COM
planning of weak hearts. "Gentlemen," )"
, he would say to his students when lee
turing on digitalis, gentlemen, the
best tonic for weak heart is a good
brisk walk" Not doubt of it. The
D majority of weak, fiabby hearts are
weak and f1abby because every other
muscle in the body is weak and fiabby,
and this general weakness and fiabbi-
ness Is due to want of vigorous use.
Exercise of the legs and back and arms
gives additional and much needed ex-
ercise to the heart, and the heart grows
strong by vigorous exercise exactly as
every other muscular organ does, for
the heart isa muscle. Ifa man has no
organic disease of the heart, no enlarge
ment and no functional disorder, plenty
of brisk walking, with occasional run.
ming, will soon dispell his breathless-
ness and heart weakness, other things
being equal. The muscular inactivity
of the modern town man is the parent
of more ifs~health than any other single
cause whatever.-American Analsst.