Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-06-05
ThE PHILosoenY oE NoIse.
Aversion Go DistuI i,ancc j. TyEptom cl
Neurotlc DecsueratiOn.

ANef&iON TO Da~tM1 tAEcf ls = 80 ltbiA ~
Neurotlc Degeneration
Awoman suffering from neuralgia sta
tions her son TO keep boys from making
noise in front Of the house. a boy
comes by whistling-a performance in
which ws must recognize 8 natural,
wholesome and boylike act, whereupon
there ensuts a short, sharp fight between
the pair. in bich oneis accidentally cut.
The upshot L not important: the origin
Of 1t is.
1t has long been usual tn accord spe-
tial privileges to invalids in relieving
them against noi5c. Formerly straw
would be strewn in the street, and thou
sands of persons who were not sick
would be inconvienced to ease the pains
Of one who was. I'm part, this custom
was one Of ostentadon. II could be
practiced only by the influential who
were exalted by making themselves a
nuisance When death ensued, hatch
ment was set up in the same spirit OF
vainglory. All the windows i'll the
house were closed for term, the dura-
tion of which was fixed by custom, but
which bore a relation TO the estate Of the
deceased and, the consequent degree OF
exaltation descending upon his heirs.
All healthy animals delight in noise.
The description includes barbarous folk
and children. Dogs bark (curs only
sneak Off, birds scream, boys shout,
girls clap hands to their ears in sweet
confusion, horses paw, all animate ma
ture responds to the exhilaration Of noise.
The sick do not. In every form of sick
ness the nervous function is deranged.
As we have seen above mankind has
shown its appreciation Of this fact by its
customs. Excessive sensibiiity to noise
Is thus one symptom of neurotic degen-
Grafton. 1t Is the mark Of one broad dis
tine. ION between the state Of civilization
and its opposite. 1t testifes to one part
Of the price which that state exacts from
man on his physical side.
Within civilization itself indifference
to noise is one of the distinctions of
system rudely healthful both in body
and mind. The converse of this propo-
sition is equally true. Whenever per.
son displays peculiar sensitiveness to
noise we may know that the case is one
of an unwholesome mind in an unwhole-
some body. From the fact that the dis
turbance is essentially neurotic one it
follows that it is controllable TO a great
extent by the will. Much of the dis
turbance that IS experienced from noise
can be put completely aside by exercise
of the viii. a barking dog may keep
one person awake while his healthier or
wiser neighbor sleeps the sleep Of the
just. Under the pingiug Of the cable
car bells valetudinarian subsidies into
frenzy while his younger clerk is Tapped
in dreams Of the equally unconscious
typewriter on the next floor. The con-
trast here need not be one of relative
strength of mind merely; one of the two
minds is sick.
In such case the will power Is i'm
paired. II would probably be found that
the complaining person is also irritable.
passionate. perhaps consumed by self
contemplation. In many cases of this
order relief could no doubt be gained
through treatment by suggestion. But
In vastly the greater number the patient
is competent 10 minister 10 himself. He
Is still capable OF exerting the will, and
in this exercise lies complete and per-
manent cure. Furthermore, the cure
does not apply alone to the particular
noise that may have called for it. IL will
be found 70 have influenced the mind
permanently The injurious effects at
tributed 10 noise do not proceed from
without, but from within. They do not
inhere Ia the aerial vibrations, but in the
mental response made 20 them.
Finally II ought % be observed that
the disease is one that increases by be-
ing yielded 10. The noise that Is first
noticed .as an annoyance ia some mo
ment Of irritation, anxiety or other nsrY-
ous disturbance can be nuTsed into an
object Of horror. Time WAS when folks
thought sensitiyeuoss 90 noise 10 be eyi-
dence Of high strung character. They
were rather proud Of it gnd ir0tted Il
forth ln public, The world knows bet.
tor now. lterecls hospitals for the Mrs.
Nltuttsrlys whom Il rather admired
in Nicholas Alckleby's time lt no
longer holds poor Tom ~ bedlan tor Ia.
spirod, and since Il has learned how
much sickness ls hther a fruit of phase
of ignorance u u getting little sick ~
lhose sick folks, az least of whom il haa
right 60 look Tor soiaothing better
Now fors Evening sun.