The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-27
THE GYMNASTICS OF REST.
A Scotch Physicians Suggestions 20 Ale.
vaate the Vital waite of Hurry.

viate the Vital waite of Hurry.
In his Edinburgh health lecture DR..
George r. Wilson. medical saperin.
tendent Mayisbsnk asylum, On The
Gymnastics of Rest" says it Is the I'M
fortunate habit OF our times to measure
the welfare of the people only by their
material prosperity and TO ignore their
mental distress. The waste of human
material is greater than ever, the tear
and wear of mems minds increased, and
now. in spite of all our inventions. nay,
because of all our inventions. the world
IS more than ever in need Of rest The
nervous system Is cortrived so as TO
thrive in an atmosphere OF mild i'm
pressiens, not IN one of constant shocks
and jars. True, we could become ac-
commodated to shocks, 10 noise and din.
but we become accommodated to them
only by using up energy. IL would re-
pay US TO get away from noise and din
even for short time. just as noise 10
TO the ear, dinginess and the dull gray
atmosphere of cities are to the eve;
our eyes and our braine are adapted for
fords. There is. perhaps, a greater evil
which city life briggs upon the eve.
The eve itself, and its nerves and mus
cles, are so contrived that in the nat
ural state, in the state of rest, we look
at distance, but by constantly look
ing at objects close at hand we never
give the eye rest.
1t is not easy for older people TO learn
new ways, but tho children should b>
taught, whenever a glimpse of distance
can be had, to let loose their eyes upon
il, to turn no the horizoa and rest. One
of the first steps to mental rest is the
ability TO perform the feat of booking
at distance when there il no distance
20 look at, and resting the eye on an
Imaginary picture of the horizon. \
second step toward rest ia the relaxs-
tion of that tension IN the muscles
round the eye, and especially in the
muscles of the forehead, which char
acterize men of the city and busy men
everywhere, when they are attending
iutently to something which they con-
slider important. A third step is the
teaching of the muscles round the |
TO stand at ease" rather tina q |
"at attention" This threefold process |
he calls expansion of the attention"
1t Is a mistake to suppose that thi,
whole subject is stupid; nothing is more |
evident in this busting age than that |
most men and women have not the most |
remote notion of keeping their minds
at vest. In play and at work alike we |
are "pressine"-to use an expression T,
from the language of golf-nearly all |
the time, anxious-mincleda and strained. |
Passing on 10 the subject of hurry"
tine lecturer notes that there IS a world |
of difference between promptness or |
suickness and hurry. The difference is
that when we hurry we an, anxious |
are pressing" and the ex- ]
ccssivs tension discopds our activities. |
Next, speaking of panic, the lecturer
offe. various hints for "squandsring /
the attention" by way of minimizing
the effect of shocks. Closely allied 20
panic, but more lasting. more chronic,
Is the vice OF the mind which We call
worry. Worry is an inability 70 with
draw the attention from unpleasant
hess. II is a vice which il rampant
among US; a most reprehonsible vice,
because so unnecessary and 90 easily
avaaed- II we practice what he bas
called the gymnastics Of rest we would
never worry. We would feel pain and
distress often enough. but our mind
Ronld not dwell on the feeling OF them.
.Sont sman