San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-09
SUNDAY REFLECTIONS.

TRANSLATED FROM FREIE PREssE
The life of the real American has
often been compared with steam en-
CINE, that il, one that is strained to
the FULLEST extent, and often beyond
it's power. Even his meals he takes
machine like, as ii fresh Goals were
shoveled in the furnace. 800,
But even on q steam engine reac-
ton comes at last, il strained beyond
its natural strength. 1t is but natural
to conclude from this that such reac.
ton is the case in man, in q manifold
intensified degree, but to this fact no
attention whatever is given here in
America.
Hence it was but natural and fitting
To the times, as we'll as credita BILE to
DR.. Cyrus Edison, prominent
New York physician, (he is
chief inspector Of the New
York board OF HEALTHY to address his
earnest manner aud to warn them OF
the consequences of this overstrained
nerve machine existence. s -. ..,
He did this in spicy written ar
ticle in the March number OF the
North American Review" in which
he answers the interogatory "Do We
live too fast" in an affirmative sense.
Accepting the old fundament tai and
traditional belief that q strong CO.
mingling of nations and races would
produce the healthiest generation.
Or. Edison thinks that physically the
American people should be superla
lively far advanced beyond all other
nations on this globe, so much more
80 since the climatic and geographical
conditions are the very best and the
material welfare of the country at
large has only been made use of
to the value Of ten per cent of its
real riches, showing them to be so
great that the danger of material
decline need not be feared for centu-
ries to come.
Now, il even with all these favor
able preliminaries the consequent
final claim that the American lie a
specially healthy and strong repre-
sentative of the "genus homo" does
not materialize, the fault must be
with himself and his living In contra.
distinction to the teachings of the
laws of nature.
According to the views of DIR. Ed.
son the fundamental cause Is to be
found in the more than hearty man
ner of doing everything, even includ.
ing enjoyment recreation and pleas
ures are being conducted in a more
than hasty and quicker time by the
Americans. In order to retain this
nervous haste of q system in
its fiual throes artificial means are
being constantly resorted to material
as we'll as spurious, and the natural
consequence Is again either q drunk
ard or dyspeptic, whore digestive or.
gans refuse their services, or "ner.
vrasteric," whose whole nervous
system has been used up.
1t Is specially this last named CON.
plant, that is, weakness of the nerves
which has of late become the curse OF
large masses OF the population of this
country that 1t has received on the
other side of the Atlantic the name OF
american disease"
In part, even almost word for word
with the definitions Of DR.. Edison, are
the explanations of a professor Of
medicine, at the University of Thue
bingen, DR.. Juergensen. He call this
"Neurastnenie," the decease of brair
workers and marks Ii as 8
special form of over strainine
of the nervous system by too much
mental labor he also, names 1t tn,
American disease" because he says
the constant never resting race aftel
fortune is carried on more intense
than anywhere else. But Juergenser
also warns against the contempla
ton as if this modern disease wa.
only subservIent to the American
continent, but II appears everywhere
where the conditions are equally
favorable, that is where an over
strain of the mental and nervou,