The San Francisco call., 1895-12-22
PHASES OF NERVOUSNESS.
Elements of Modern Life Which TEN
-, EiSnasaS

Elements of Modern Life Which Tend
to Produce Nerve Diseases.
DR.. John A. Miller Iectured before the
mem bers of the Mechanics Institute and
their invited friends last evening upon
"Some Phases of Nervousness in Men and
Women in Modern Life" He SAID:
The agreeable feeling of the soul or mind
which realization of our hopes end desires
produces constitutes contentment. The OPP
portunity OF social, political and Intellectual
equality which present themselves arouses an
ambition which will not brook restraint. And
this makes contentment impossible. AMI
mated beings do not constitute the exceptions
as once supposed, but like everything else are
ub lect to external physical condi tions.
The mental and nervous strain OF the day IN
many cases impairs the organism and produces
the disorder known as neurasthenia. 1t is not
easy to define nervousness, but it has been
pretty we'll described by the synonym nerve.
less. 1t is a lack of nerve force. The causes or
nerve impairment include every adverse con-
dition known to hygiene. The children OF
active brain workers are very apt to start IN
life handicapped by impaired nerve force. In
the army of neuras themes women generally
predominant, and this is largely due to their
early training. Girls generally miss the whole
some stimulus of fresh air which youths enjoy.
The voice OF the earnest physician should be
raised against that specialized education too
often pursued in our seminaries where the
emotions are unduly cultivated with resulting
hystera and kindred disorders
Preventive medicine of so great value theo-
retically remains in the background while cur
ative medicine does its best at patchwork.
You should not lightly enter upon university
course or any lifework requiring q great ex-
penditure of nerve force.
A common type OF nervous women is that of
women who have failed of all the ambitions
that womanhood holds dear. Another cause
Of nervousness is unhappy marriages. The in
voluntary discipline which men undergo in
the battle-life partially prepares them for al
most any shock, but so many women are so
tenderly reared cared for that they are ut
terly unprepared for the catastrophy, and seem
never to recover from it.
made miserable by q constant feeling of ex-
haustion. This sense OF fatigue indicates
temporary arrangement of the nerves. Fatigue
is the prayer of tired nerves for rest. Nervous
people can often control their nervous crises
by an effort of the will. The terrible consump-
ton OF alcoholic liquors, morphine and similar
drugs is one OF the growing evils OF the day
due to the clamorou us demand OF a certain class
OF nervous people who demand speedy
adjustment of their pain regardless of future
evils.
A change to the country, where the worry
and wear of business, and where good fresh
food can be procured without the work of pre-
pairing IL, is the great cure for nervous eXhaus-
ton to people of moderate means. There has
been too long an inclination to ignore natures
curative methods and attack disease as mid
night marauder with drugs and medicines.
This / believe is a superstition. Rest and
nature can repair an otherwise irreparable in
Jury.