The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-26
THE AMERICAN DISEASE
THAT IS WHAT FOREIGN PHYsI-
CLANS CALL NEURAsTHENIA.
Symptoms of the Disorder 1t
May Become Chronic, is often
Hereditary and Yet Frequent At
tacl<s of Nervous Prostitution
Make no Inroads Upon Youth or
Beauty.

w nen an unfortunate woman IN a Tor
eign land comes down with what she
decides is nervous prostration. the ply
sfcian called in will likely regard her
with a good deal OF amused contempt.
He is apt as not to call it a plain case
of the American disease" and go about
its treatment awkwardly enough.
Plainly he does not believe in nervols
prostration while his American fellow
professional gives it the name of neuras-
themla. defines it as nerve exhaustion
and admits 1t is peculiar to the natives
OF our states.
A SPECIALISTS OPINION.
''Neurasthenia.' said a well known
nerve specialist. lis hardly a distinct
disease. Doctors are inclined to regard it
as condition of the BODY that comes
about gradually and is caused manly
by the cruel eXlgencles of our American
clYlllzauOn We are even coming 10 be-
HeVe IL an herlu1Lary weaAness, ana
Women are Particularly prone LO Its IN
HueIIc6S through Their more deucate nef-
NOuS ofsdn4lettlOn, their rather uncOn-
LrOueq mag Inal4OnS.
''Ine New t.us4and and middle states"
he continued, snow -prepOnuerance Of
cases. IL mas also Oeen IOunu, mat amer
Ican women between the ages OF e-gnL
cen ana thirty ana between forty ana
nILy are neufdSLhenIa'S most WliAng SUD-
1ecLS. Before elgnteen and aILer nLty
Une rarely mus d genuine example OF
what the foreign man OF medicine IS apt
to tnlnk mere American Vagary.
DEVELOPS SLOWLY.
THE workings in cases of nervous
prostfatlon are many. W nat are they Z!
w ell IN what We Gail neurds Ln6uIa Wnure
hypochondrIa plays no part, the urSt
nOtICeaOle Symptom Seems always 10 be
f..-
lowed by an imp eASanL moody 4auSOur
win an lncIlndL on 10 excessive anxiety
ana treLtuI worry oN er even the LnlnuL-
est TIMES. Where the mental depression
IS MARKED anu stupid mOrDId fears
troUD4e the brain the average woman
makes an effort 10 0isSlpate ner mean
cnOly by increasing h6f diversions. Inc
not over strong A4Snly strung society g4rI
10 get rid OF her blues ana the BRAIN
WORKER undS her quickest relief IN re-
doubled eXertIons over neF du4es.
al urSL the dQued exerLOn mas d most
burning the canuIe in three places IN
stead OF TWO, ana presently the SplrILS
alternate between NOSE denghttul porous
OF eXnlIaratlon ana painful SnOcks OF
hySt erlcal tears. There are lengLnenmg
alto cks OF sulky gloom Wnen one ) faults
are magnIned INTO crimes ana The tenn
per grows 1mperlous and sensitive
THE CRISIS.
At first these trying phases are attri-
buted 10 the ingram perverslty OF the
feminine nature. An oVerLaXed house
Keeper scarcely stops to cOnSIuer a little
loss of appetite and flesh, troublesome
attacks OIL dyspepsia, tine recurrence OF
slight neuraIglc headache and a desire
Wnen no SPECIAL demands are maze on
her time to sit yaWnng over the ire
warming her cold hanQS and feet. Ad-
ded to these indications insomnia follows
with fearfuliy bad dreams disturbing The
brief snatcheS of sleep.
1t is not. however, until sharp at
tack OF vertigo or a shocking sort of
mental inconvenience alarms the patient
that the physician is consulted and the
cOuaDSe comes.
~ mere it is possible the cms in san
itarium is advocated for here is a genu-
Inc case OF neuraSthenia where it will
require a month or SIX weeks to SOOth
and partially restore the distracted and
depleted nerve force. In such cases the
rest cure acts like magic, the patient
is treated as though she were recovering
from an acute and eXhausting aIln1eat.
But the santtarium is costly luxury
and where the nervous disorder has not
arrived at q crisis the rest cure at home
can be used with great beneft. There a
room should be given the patient which
she has never occupied before, one that
is sunny and quiet and where she may
be put comfortably to bed. The attend
ant should be trained nurse, who IN
derstands adjusting light and ventilation,
giving slight treatments of massage and
electricity, rubbing the body with brine
and alcohol, administering the food prop
cry and wardlng off lntruders.
A few weeks in such Seclusion has a
good effect but the proper treatment of
nervous prostration is the timely inter-
vention that prevents a crisis. Per-
sons living in the northern states and
chiefly indoors should retreat at once to
a warm relaxing region, where salt
baths, fruit diet and great quiet will
work a prompt and pleasant cure.
FOR WORKING WOMEN.
Even the working woman can avoid