Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-01-07
HUM0R As 4 MEDICINE
Why European Authority Ba7s
Marx Twain's Works.
INJURIOUS AS 4 MENTAL DIET

British Medical Journal Says Hunaor-
Ast's hooks NOT Only Cheer. hut In
Characterization Physicians Who
PFescribe Them For ConvaIesccnts
Tell of Their VnIne--Hov John ~.
PRssison Took the Laugh Cure.
The British Medical Journal, 2 lead
ing European authority, IL Il recent is.
sue declares that English conyGlescents
must avoid Marx Twain IS mental
diet, says the New Yori: American. Il
says:
''Convalescents must not read Mark
TWINS books; they not only cheer,
but incbrlate. Twalns books uGy pro.
yoke side splitting laughter ard so re-
tard the union of severed or lGcerated
parts in the healing process"
But two of New York's foremost
physicians. both nerve specialists, one
of them Charles Weston BrGndenbuig,
professor ar the New York Medical
College and American institute, ard J.
Carleton Simon, former president OF
the One Hundred Year club, agree that
Mark Twain as mental dlet can hard
iy he surpassed.
For years / have prescribed Mark
Twain, Bret Harte and Artemus Ward
as regularly for my patients, most all
of whom are sufferers from neurosis,
rs have prescribed the accepted food
diet" declared DR.. Simon recently. at
IS rather startling to have Twain re-
garded as too vigorous. fancled him
more subdued writer than Ward,
whom l regard as one OF the most
luxuriant humorlsts. ] seldom differ
entiate between good humorous books
because regard the vigorous stirring
UP OF rnelanoholiac's humorous sens.-
bilities ms good thing for the patients
progress. l...a aa t. 3D..
AS have always prescribed Twain
and Ward 80 have always prescribed
depressing obooks-H0mlet, for Instance.
In the same way all nerve specialists
select or restrict the plays which their
patients shal! see.
THE explanation OF the effect OF
hunot-c)ean, wholesome humor-upon
physical health is simple Laughter
the, heartler the hetter-increnses the
blood pressure. stimulates the produc-
fion Of red corpuscles and thus In
creases the patients strength There's
an old adage, Laugh and grow tat
THE Medical Journal may be right
from an English pointjof view, us hui
NOR is not an English characteristic.
In America every Individual cracke
jokes. biassrs, Ryan and Hartman, If
they should meet at n directors meet
Ing, would Immediately start to tell.
Ing funny stories to prove their sur.
face indifference and hide eny subway
anlmosity. In England 1t Is harder to
launch. jokes. a.. h44
When | vas student In Cincin-
natl perhaps thirty years ngo," said
DIR. Brandenburg. "the new governor
Of Ohio, ihauguratcd recently, John nj.
Pattisoh, was my roommate. lie was
studying lew; medicine, He. was
Blue and Ill one night, and read Tom
Sawyer TO him, He laughed himself
veil IN I'll,
Each faculty Of the mind has & rela.
1on to particular part Of the brnin
which It tends to develop and energize.
Without the higher stimulus Of iitere-
cure the sensual faculties In The pos
terror brain would develop only gross
and degraded humanity.
1.-THE 1nonotony OF convalescence may
be relieved not only by the stimulus
Of Mark. Twain's books, but by gentle,
harmoinoua music and social eur
roundings. . N..
Laughter is ono OF the bast, most
natural forms OF exercise l know Of.
The idea that side splitting laughter
may reterd the healing OF wounds Is,
am afraid, q tribe. far fetched. i
really think thar p.annt.Ai-