The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-02-06
EXERCISE THE BRAIN.
It Is the Only Way to Attain Per-
feet Health.
naiental Observation-Disclosures Where the
Brain Dies for Lack of Food
The Frequent Curse of
the Suicide.


the Suicide.
There appeared in the London Spec
tator not long ago an article on 'Men-
tai Laziness" The ground it took
was that savages, the Intellectually
unframed among so-called civilized
people, and, in certain departments of
endeavor, differing with the individual,
even the educated, shrink from mental
exertion ''as an animal shrinks from
physical pain In the majority of
instances they make it only when they
are actually compelled to do so, pre-
ferring in most cases the "easy' way
of doing a thing, no matter how slip
shod it may be. With training Or
practice. it is possible for all men to
reach state in which, over smaller
or larger area, mental exertiOn be-
comes easy and affords pleasure; when
pushed by necessity, they acquire this
Intellectual mastery over some field
through involuntary effort; at other
times to do so they must employ sheer
will.
The matter has decided bearing upon
health. 1t was the opinion OF an acute
English physician, DR.. Richardson,
that man was made for civilization. In
other words. that not only his mind,
but his bodily health thrives better I'M
der it than when he is in a state of saw
ageism and this not alone because of
any superiority in his physical sur
roundings, but from the simple fact
that his mind is developed, is active
and exerts beneficial influence upon
his body. Hufeland, too, Thought that
"a certain degree of culture is physic-
ally necessary for man, and promotes
duration of life"
The full measure of health is only to
be reached by those who are, we will
not say merely civilized, but, other
things being equal, Intellectually Or
esthetically or spiritually active.
Only when the immaterial part is de-
veloped into vigor and life, and is OF
something higher than a merely ami
NAL existence, does the consciousness
become charged with sense of pleas
IRE and of power, which innervates
and invigorates the physical organi SIN
by that curious influence of the mind
upon the body of which we know so lit.
tie, but which is so incontestable fact
and brings it to its highest condition.
Mental training, by refining the nerv-
Gus organization, makes the same
quantity of muscular power 60 much
further" No great prize-fghter, nc
matter how mighty were his thews. il
his mind lay fallen, was ever thor
oughly healthy. Training will dc
much, but, in addition to training,
with any thing that might fairly have
been called mental cultivation, he
would have reached a state of physica
integrity and vigor of which he hat
previously never dreamed. Our In
dams we have not found to be the equa
in health of a first-rate representative
of Anglo-Saxon civilization, devel
oped in body and mind. This not onl,
from the exposure to which they ar
subjected, and from their extremel
irregular habits with regard to nntri
ton, undergoing long fasts. and whe
an opportunity arrives gorging to re
pletion, thus, in either case. fasting o
feasting, straining their bodies, bu
largely because their intellects Ii
dormant. The great athletes, tn
long-lived men, the powerful al
mics have belonged to civil
lied nations. The average
life, health, size and strengt
Is highest among civilized race!
savage races, no matter in how favor
aoie climate they dwell, always ten
10 Gle out. They have all the diseas
TO which civilization is subject, an
show less ability to resist them Tho
do not thrive when transplanted ,
civilized Landslide civilized ma
thrives anywhere. DR.. Kane bore tt
rigors of the Arctic zone better tn;
the Esquimaux themselves. The orie
tai saber is too small for the Engli
hand, and the bracelet of the KAT
warrior for the Anglo-Saxon arr
Early travellers among our Indians al
missionaries to the South Sea Islam
found that in athletic contests the n
tives were beaten by the Europeans.
when the French savants, Pero
Regnier and Ransonnet, carried the
dynometers to the islands of the Indi;
Ocean, they found with surprise TIL
an average English sailor was fort
TWO per cent. stronger, and an averas
frenchman thirty per cent. stronge
1han the strongest island tribe the
visited" Says Prichard: ut is no
wen known that all savage races ha,
.ess muscular power than civilize
men," tombstone in North Africa an