The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-07-19
NERVOUSNESS INCREASES
The Causes Leading to lt-Too
Much Hurry.
Rushing from Change to Change Seems to
BE the Only Alternative-Workm
aud Women OF TO-Daya
Restless Lot.

Under this rather startling title,
Prof. w. Erb, at Heidelberg. gave an
address some time ago which demands
more than n passing notice. Prof. Erb
takes it for granted that there is a
marked increase of functional nervous
disorders. and he believes that the
events of the present century have
naturally led to this result. The
nineteenth century. says the British
Medical Journal, began il disorder
and cOmmotion. France had aAse,!
through bloody revolution which
was to be followed by the excite
Inent and exhaustion of NapoleOnic
adventures; restlessness. political and
social was followed by period
of calm, but, with the advanc-
ing years. labor-saving inventions
rapidly replaced man and increased
wealth. and rendered communication
casy-as our author says. time and
space seemed to be annihilated. In
science, in literature. all were develop
ing. and with it there appeared in
capacity for rcstful pleasure; rushing
from change to change seeming to be
the only alternative work. With over
work there was overcrowding and
ovcrstimulatiOn; alcohol and tobacco
were used in greatly increased quanti
tics: railway travelling and its nerve
jarril:r motion still further tended to
ncrvrl,>neSs: and. SO Prof. Erb con-
vilcc:' himself. with all this there has
been q clear loss OF nerve tone to the
Whole of the highly civilized nations.
Nothing could have been more bril-
liantlT pul than the contrast between
tho normal reaction to work and worry
and the ncuraSthcnic and abnormal re-
action TO the same conditions. and it
viii be for us 10 see whether we agree
with all that Prof. Erb says. Accord
ing to him. al this rapid. restless move
Ilcnt has left an irritable and slOw-re-
covering nervous system. which must
lac considered as ncurast h1nic. The
>.>S;.n iiio OF this disorder. which has
not been recognized twenty years, are
increased scnsitivcnesS. with weakness.
Wc;ri,,CS.,. lack Of power Of endurance.
end defective recupcrativc power. This
disorder Is Il refinement of hysteria and
hEpopiinIitiria>iS. "nH! il is the outcome
Of the coa,.i IONS of life. He thinks it
ought to be found in all periods of eX-
element and Of luxury. but owns that
there i, M evidence of its existence in
Greece oi in Rome.
The disorder is to be recognized and
to be Inet BY changing conditions, and
nerve hygiene is to be considered as
much as sanitation. From school days
10 professional life the human being is
to be tended and brought up, his men
tai. moral and physical education is to
be regulated. his holidays arc to be
mcthOdiicd, his business is to be con-
Quoted in healthy surroundings and
his cities are to be made healthy and
beautiful. with fresh air and beautiful
surroundings Thus, the professor is a
preacher of hygienic socialism. AS we
said before. we have been charmed with
the address. but not convinced.
The old question reappears in another
'ol1n. Is increased insanity and nervous
disorder in necessary correlation to de-
vcloping completely of society? 1t must
be recognized that the more complex
the rules OF society the more frequent
will be breaches of these rules; at all
vents, for Il time In developing civ
LatlOn. too. we have Il very perpleX-
factor added in the survival and the
propagation of the nonfittest. and this
doubtless adds to the increasing num-
CT of the nervous. We are inclined
20 believe that there is some slight in
crease OF nervousness, but that there
Is much greater knowledge of the
subject. and with knowledge comes
subdivision and classification We re-
member the time when hysteria in its
present connotation. was looked upon
rs Il new ana increasing danger to So
clcty. This disorder is now recognized
as no longer defect of will for which
the patient is 20 be blamed. and mas
heo:i suhdivided. Hypochondriasis in
the s,,lac way is no longer considered
to be Il plaladie imaginaire, but is rec
ognized as having some organic basis.
ana with this progress the sO-called
functional disorders have to be studied
apart ami are now placed under the
head nc,rasthenia. We do not believe
lnorN women. at all events in England.
hav" nerves now than they had fifty
year, ago. With the increase of ey-
cif"in2nt there has been Il still greater
tendency 10 more freedom OF exercise.
more freedom from conventiOnalism
and much healthier home surroundings.