Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-06-20
NERVOUS EXHAUSTION.
Tho Waste of Nerve Force and tho Cause
Leading to It.

The Waste of Nerve Force and the Causes
Leading to It.
Undoubtedly at no period of the
worlds history has the physical sys-
tenn of man had greater burdens i'm
posed upon it than during the present
generation. The pioneers in the SETTLE
ment of the country had nature to SUBJ
due, its forests to root up. its soil to
bring under cultivation. and its wild
beasts to destroy; other generations
have had gigantic wars to carry on;
but these labors required mainly an
expenditure Of physical strength
which. within certain limits, is easily
maintained. The invention of ma
chinery in almost every conceivable
form has lessened the draught upon
bodily strength, but many develop
ments of modern life have imposed the
severest strain upon the nervous sys-
tenn. Increasing insanity. premature
deaths, the early loss of the signs of
youth. and rapidly-enlarging list of
nervous disorders are the certain in
dications that this generation finds it
difficult to adapt itself to its environ
ment, and that it is not engaging in pur-
suits and methods of living unknown to
its predecessors without paying heavy
penalties. From the ranks of every
profession, from every department of
business, and perhaps still more from
women and children, come warnings,
while fretfulness, irritability and silent
misery in thousands of homes bear
witness to the heavy strain that human
nature is now compelled to undergo.
Under such circumstances it becomes
necessary to give wider publicity to
the caution which medical science is
all the time giving in private, but in
two many cases only after fatal conse-
quences have been incurred. The
facts seem to indicate clearly that the
physical system can meet all the law
full demands of modern life, but that it
can not endure very much yielding to
those unlawful demands which man
has heretofore allowed himself under
the name of pleasures, but which NOR
alists have called by the much less at
tractive name of sin. The lessons of
morality, temperance, good nature and
recreation are being taught to this
generation as they have never been
taught before, under the penalties of
insanity, an innumerable number of
nervous disorders, or early death if
the lessons are not learned. The
amount of lawful work which a
healthy man can do is beyond cal
culation. Up to a certain point worR,
whether mental or physical. simply
increases ones power. Especially may
the mental faculties continue to i'm
prove in quality far beyond any assign
able limits in any case, and. in point
of time. beyound the three-score and
ten once marked as a limit of human
enjoyment. Over-work seldom Injuries
any one. This is only the excuse we
make to others, or by which we blind
ourselves to our own follies, or vices,
or self-neglect. The real cause of dis
aster is our narrow range of pursuit,
our intemperance in eating and dink-
ing, our lack of timely recreation, our
yielding to anxiety, or ill-temper. All
these things are to the nervous system
what friction is in the running of ma
chinery-a tax upon power and need
less waste of strength. Let the man
who would live long and see his bust
ness prosper reduce his friction to a
minimum; let him avoid a wearying
monotony by the many thousand de-
lightful fields of investigation which
earth affords, its science, literature,
art or music; let him keep his body
pure, so that his tastes, sensibilities
and imagination may be unimpaired;
let him avoid worry, learning.
after having done his utmost,
to live by faith in the provi-
dence that watches over human
life. In such manner of life there
is no danger of premature decay
Of any power. What the possible de-
gree Of human endurance is can be
seen in such a man as Lord Palmer
ston, who said that an Englishman
should be in his prime at eighty. in the
case of Mr.. Gladstone, in Charles OAR
win, who, restricted by ill-health. per-
'ormed an amount 81 labor which
would have broken down a man OF
range. All the nervous dis
orders which are so frequent nova
lays are the just penalties of ill-adjust-
tent. It may be taken for granted that
he present development of civilization
vas designed, that the physical system
S abundantly able to meet all its just
but it was also intended
hat man should not waste his nerve
orces by subjacting them to needless
train, by indu1ging in ill-temper, anx-
ETY., dissipation, Or by combining him
elf, like a slave, to restricted sphere
The man who, in an age like this, I'M
lerstands but one subject, and loves
'ut one thing, ought to break down.
'ome incurable and increasing
lervous disorder falling upon
i'm is natures proclamation that he is
Weighed in the balance and found
wanting. He has made slave of him
elf, when he might have been free,
las pursued pleasure at the expense of
Or wealth at the cost of wis
ON. The women also who are irrita-
lie, physically weak or broken down,
yhen the women of a century ago
Tere strong, patient, and not less low
BILE, must painfully lay to heart the
anne lesson. They have not wisely
the resources of nature;
hey have worshiped the wrong idols
r have failed to seek the varied re-
ef which is so lavishly offered in
hese days. Doubtless many of us