The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-01-10
The Advantages Of Pain.

would constantly De Inf1lcteu upon the
tissues; and without the lessons
taught us by pain there is every reason
to believe that most mischieVous and
injurious acts would be constantly COM
mitted.
To what injuries, blows, burns, con-
tusiGns, etc, would not the frame work
of man and of animals be subjected if
the slow lessons of consequential injury
were left without the sharp reproOf Of
pain? The suffering Immediately at.
tracts the attention, and consequently
that which would do much damage is
avoided, not from any rational consid-
Grafton of the consequences, but from,
tie pain directly produced. Without
the advantages which thus spring from!
aain. animals and savage men would
necessarily be in1icting much injury
ul:0u themselves, and indeed often be
!nalcriIing their existence. Pain from
This point of view is distinctly preserva-
tive throughout the whole Of animated
creation The utility Of pain is seen in
tie membrane which sweeps the sur
face OF the eve, for instance, IN several
animals, whenever any irritant particle
is brought into contact with these deli
cate structures. The pain caused by
the foreign body sets up reGeXiv a mus
cular contraction in this membrane, and
thus it is brought across the eye, sweep
inc the surface, and so the offending
matter is removed. When the foreign
body is too fixed to be Se removed, dis
organization of The eve follows, and
amidst q general destruction of the or
gan the .irritant matter is got rid of.
Destruction OF the eye in these animals
would lie q common occurrence If 1t
were not Tor tEis. muscular arrange
ment, and pain IS the eXcitant: it is, as
it were. the finger which pulls the trig-
GER, and 50 the machinery already pro-
v.del and prepared is set i'll action
| thereby In nam the suffering caused
! bv q foreign body in Tie eve calls the at
tention to the part. and leads to its Ye-
moval. If it were not for the
| pain so produced. iCremediable
| mischief would often be permitted
to go on unchecked, because unnnticed.
! Not only does pain so G@cnd the eye
from the injurious effects of foreign
! bodies; it often serves to protect the
! delicate organ froGn overwork, and
whese pain is so produced rest is given
to the part. and recovery is instituted.
Especially is this seen where the eyes
are not an absolute pair, and long
perusal Of page strains them. Proper
| Spcctacles, making the eyes 3 pair, give
| proIRpt and permanent relief. The
| grave diseases of the eye are those
which are painless. where iHcipicnt dis
ease is aggravated by persisting action.
ali OF which would be avoided ii pain
were q consequence of the malady.
The advantages which ensue from
pain are most markedly seen and are
most obvious in the case Of Injuries.
When joint is sprained, Tie pain
caused bv movement in it comprls tie
rest which is essential to repair. Ii
there were no pain produced BY melton.
the parts would almost certainly be eX-
ercised to the detriment and to the delay
of the Teparatiye process. So, too, i'll
broken bones, the agony caused by mo-
tioB is such that Il lNed position Is main
tanned for weeks, with the result ihat
the part, being kept at absolute rest, IS
thus permitted to recover as speedily as
may be. All who have tdous ht oyerthe
matter must know well how irksome it
is to maintain one position for any ieugth
of time: the keen sense Of WEAKNESS and
the inclination 10 change lie posture
become at once insupportable and irrr-
siStihle But if sharp pain be the cons4-
quencc of movement, how steadily is the
position maintained for DAYS, and even
weeks.
In like manner pain is most protective
in certain internal diseases. Thus in IN
Illumination of the large Serious covering
which invests the abdominal yiscara and
lines tie walls of this space. pain, the
result of movement. secures rest. This
large lubrieating service i'll healt' pcY-
mits of the contained viscera gliding
gently upon each other. and on their
boundary walls; but when it becomes
infamed the friction Of the drv surface.
produces intense pain, and qtietudc is
thus enforced. Doubtless this pall is
often such as to constitute great
danger to life; nevertheless, without il
and its consequences more serious mis-
chief would usually be produced
When there is an abscess in the liver
pain is induced by movement of thi-
viscus, and so we find the muscles Of tie
abdominal wall over the liver rigid ana
hard, thus keeping the organ at res
in stu. When a rib is broken the frac-
tured ends rubupon the pleura and ex.
cite inflammation oft and the pain thus
set up causes the patient to call in 3
surgeon, who places the thorax in com
parative quietuGe hy bandagc, anC
the friction be 50 minimized, repair is
permitted. Then, in certain condition.
of the stomach, pain is produced by
improper food; and 50 dyspepsia guide.
| the sufferer to the choice Of suitable
food, which does not set up pain. Such
are some OF the best known instances o.
the utility of pain in local ailments o.
injuries. There are, however. NOR,
general conditions which evoke pain
and where the pain is the means of the
condition being relieved, or renedicl
by medical art. Take neuralgia, for in
stance. 1t may be the outcome O
several conditions, which have to bC
Disseminated for It's relief. In tht
young and in early adult life it is al.
most always the result Of imperfect It's
sue nutrition, however caused. Romberg
wrote with equal poetical feeling anC
1niouf-EC t,,f,tb E.T1aiv = Lo s.,-r,. s,e /.