The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-14

INHIBITORY POWER.
1T is THAT NERVE FORCE WHICH REG
ULATES MUSCULAR ACTION.

| UlATsS MUSCULAR ACTION,
DIR. Grace Murray Says That the Tvvitob.
ing of Their Faces Shows That Woman
Arc Losing This Force-Dr. Cyrus Edison
Has Somewhat Different Idea.
American women have always been dis
tinguishod for vivaoity of manner rather
than calm repose, and tho opinion prevails
among thoughtful people, and moro par
ticularly physicians, that OF late years this
national vivacity Is degeneratina into hys-
teria and other symptoms Of nerve exbaus-
ton.
Many and curious arc tho evidences of
depleted nerve force daily manifested on
tho cars and In shops by womon. Perhaps
| strangese OF all Is the trick women have
OF twisting and comforting their mouths,
especially at or before mealtime, whom
there is least vitality in the system.
This habit is u marked ono among wom-
en-, old and young, rich or poor, cultured
or Ignorant, and Is increasing to such an
extent that 1t Is getting to DO tho exception
TO SEQ women on tho l. or surface lines
who, II they arc not talking, are not either
biting their lips, drawing in tho corners
OF their mouths or twitohing tho muscles
of tho chin, until, on tho whole, they re-
semble company of facial contortionists
Tho question naturally arises, What does
II MI meanF What can possibly prompt
women to misplace so much good Delsarte
exercise, mar their beauty and prepare
themselves for large and early crop of
wrinkles? Questions surely to DO referred
to the medical mind.
DIR. Cyrus w. Edson when questioned
on the subject, said:
Il believe this peculiar habit of the ond
OF the century woman to bu largely the re-
suit of the initiative powers of the human
mind. Wo are all mimics. 1t is COM
mon occurrence for tho attendants upon
insane to become insane from tho power
1ul effect OF ono mind upon another. Why,
st. Nitus' dance was at ono timo pro-
nounccd by tho doctors to DO contagious
because in an earlier century one poor girl
appeared in the south of Franco afflicted
with this nerve disease and in u very short
timo tho entire province was jerking and
twisting in close imitation of the original
case
DR.. Grace Peckham Murray who is q
thoughtful, keen observer in all matters
of up to date interest, said in reply to va
rious questions on the subject:
You are asking me about matter OF
decided interest have noticed this nerve
weakness in both the men and women of
New York, but particularly in tho women,
just as l have noticed moro women who
unconsciously talk to themselves, and it
all means the same thing, loss of what
physicians call 'inhibitory power which
merely means loss of self control
! To understand this it Is necessary to
caluw something OF the power of tho mind
over the body. You know, OF course, that
there must be two preliminary stages for
every act of the human body-frst, the
external sensation, and, second, the i'm
preston made upon tho brain Then
comes tho response of the body to tho brain
signal. These three steps follow each
other rs naturally and unconsciously rs
swallowing does masticating or sleep the
closing of tho eyes.
Now, in tho natural order of events
tho body responds instantly TO any impress
sion made upon tho brain. Inhibitory
power is that nerve force which controls
tho body and permits it only TO respond
wisely to the brain telegraphy. For in
stance, q natural, unrestrainod action Of o
human being would be to give utterance
TO every idea SO soon rs the brain receives
and formulate5 it, just as child or "a saw
ago prattlcs by tho hour OF every thought
passing through tho mind Inhibitory
power, or self control, is that which en-
ablcs tho older or moro cultivated being to
restrain muscular action except when de-
sirablo or necessary
And now for my point DIR. Murray
continued earnestly This increasing
facial comforting so noticeable nowadays
indicates nothing moro or less than the
weakening of this great force, self re-
straint, thus permitting the body to re-
spond to the mind to tho fullest extent, as
in the case of women talking to them
EplVpc N In :, NO,
nervous twitching of the mouth.
'Inhibitory power is naturally weakened
by hunger, fatigue or any form of nerve
exhaustion. The fact that women are los
Ing rather than gaining this power of self
management Is u matter Of vital impor-
lance in connection with the new position
they are DESTROYS of holding in the TWEEN
tieth century civilization"
Miss Grace Dodge, who has made a spe-
cial study of feminine human nature, cx-
pressed the opinion that the intense nerv-
BUSINESS among women of the present day,
and their lack Of training in ''quotncss''
was ORG great reason for the face twitching
so prevalent at this end of tho century
Let women learn TO be moderate" she
said, and to tako quiet views on even i'm
portant matters, and NERVOUSNESS will
cease and faces In rcpose will BIO tho rule
| instead of tho exception, ms we find them
today. 1t Is possible, IL ono were to study
deeply enough into the matter that such
reasons as morphine, alcohol and othor
stimulants might come to tho surface to
| account or help account for tho difficulty,
but OF this am not prepared to give su
| perlcial opinion. Now York Journal
Young Astor's Revenge.
| There Is n story told that when the pres