The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-24
SILLY TO Be NERVOUS,
SAYS A WOMAN
Selflshness Said to Be Synon-
ymous With Nerv.
OuSneSS

Feminine nerves was the subject dis
cussed recently in New York at a meet.
Ing of women when one Of their num-
Der lectured them about giving up to
nervousness. If the talker was one of
those fortunate persons born without
nerves, she probably did not realize the
torture that other women suffer some
times from nervousness. 1t is easy to
say 1T is all nonsense to be nervous
easy to pooh-pooh at nervous prostra-
ton, but any woman who has ever had
genuine case of the latter is never
afterwards lacking in sympathy for
those afflicted by this very real dis
ease
The woman in question said that if
we would give the same amount of
time to drilling our nerves that we
spend in learning a new language, or
some other accomplishment, we could
get them into subsection and have no
further trouble. This is very easy to
say. The speaker said that the more
cultivated woman becomes the more
she develops her mind at the expense Of
her body, the more her nerves are in
evidence. There is no permanent cure
for the nervously deranged except in
new attitude toward life"
OF course in mentioning the nervous
1y deranged the speaker is referring to
extreme cases which resemble insanity
SO closely that there is not much diff
ference, save that many times in
nervous arrangement permanent cure
may be effected, and often is. But or
binary nervousness, which results in
starting violently when a door is
opened or bell rung is a less serious
thing. Sometimes the noise of the
streets becomes unbearable to the nerv-
GUS woman, and complete change and
absolute quiet will cure her. The wom-
he %off~ IA, IL
took the ground that nervousness in
large number of cases was merely sell
fishness, but with that view of the mat
ter one is obliged to dissent. Ii is true
that a woman can allow self-absorp-
ton to become an obsession, resulting
in querulousness, and a petty tyranny
which makes it very hard for those
condemned to live with a woman so
afflicted. But that all nervousness re-
suits from selfishness is absurd. 1t is
also true that women who are unset
fish and always trying to keep a har-
moniouS atmosphere at home often
conceal the fact that some persons or
things disturb their nerves, and endure
great discomfort rather than force
others to bend to their will. There are
many such women fortunately for the
peace of this world. The speaker re-
ferred to said also:
Until we go to,the mind for the cure
of nervousness we are dealing with
secondary conditions. Man is a psyche
physical being. But while everyone
would grant that we walk because the
mind bids US walk, weep because it
bids us weep, smile when it tells us to
smile, few realize that the subtler forms
of diSeaSe-neuralgia, nervousness,
grip, are quite as much due to the
bidding of the mind as walking, weep
ing, smiling. There is no case of nerv-
GUS proStration SO severe that the
mind, if used persistently and intelli-
gently, cannot cure it.
All the women present did not sub
scribe to this. Many of them knew that
try as they will all nervousness cannot
be overcome at the bidding of the mind.
Sometimes the nervous scream of the
woman who starts at the opening of a
door is an involuntary thing, and she
hates herself for not being able to
overcome it. At times complete change
of scene and air will do it; indeed, the
speaker above mentioned said physi-
clans had practically given UP trying
to cure nervous troubles with drugs.
Plenty of fresh air, exercise, massage
and going away are among the reme-
dies which are now prescribed. But
the following statement of the speaker
is altogether too sweeping a one: If
selfishness did not exist, nervousness
would be unknown. Nervousness, when
not due to heredity, is largely the re-
suit of a mind fixed on itself ~
The sort of nervousness which is the
result of what is known as nervous
prosperity may be the result of sell
fishness and often is. Women with very
little to do and plenty of money often
give themselves up to nerves because
they think too much of themselves
But that all nervousness is the result
Of being self-centered is a statement
that is cruel, beside being much exag-
gerated. Perhaps in the incipient stages
nervousness n~be largely overcome by
getting away from ones self and be-
coming interested in others and con-
tributing to their happiness, but that
1T is entirely the result of selfishness is
an assertion not borne out by facts.
II