Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-08

OlAAuS, M. ~.
help or hinder by jot. The second IL
the amount OF nerve force which he ac-
quires The first is his patrlmony; the
second what he makes of 1t.
I Now, among the various endowments
which each atom Of humanity that enters
the world has stored up within 1t in a
klnetic state, to be developed and applied
in the course OF time, is this supply OF
neural force. 1t stands all through life, In
the closest relation to all of his other
faculties-so close In fact, that the exer-
else OF every faculty which he possesses,
each act that he commits, means draft
more or less heavy upon this neural re-
serve.
For the sake Of Illustration, therefore,
this reserve may be referred to as his cap
ttal In the bank This capital may be
guarded or 1t may be squandered. In some
instances repeated heavy drafts may be
made upon it through long life and still
the owner is left with sufficient balance
to suffice him In his declining years. An
other mans inherited capital may easily
meet the modest requirements of a well
regulated existence of work and play but
! be inadequate to heavy expenditures. 1t
can no more Withstand the drafts that the
other mans bank honors than the man
with an income of ten thousand a year
Thousand.
Il A third man possesses small and UNI
stable capital, which needs to be carefully
treasured In order to suffice for the de-
mands of even the most favorably ordered
life. Left to himself this one Is in DANCE,
lof becoming hopelessly involved before he
reaches maturity or learns the lesson Of
conserving his forces.
Finally there remains the unfortunate
who starts life bankrupt There Is the
Ineurasthenic who is born, not made His
fate has been determined by his progeni-
tors. The bank OF health honors no drafts
| dro a I'm tutf h. haq
and II scans his balance day by day TO
! see II II is satisfactory.
I All that the individual can do in any
case Is to acquaint himself with his own
possibilities and weaknesses, make the
best of the first and respect the latter.
This lesson is usually learned late in life
that is, after the break has come, after
the symptoms of neurasthenia have devel-
opSd and the physician has been called in
10 restore order out of the chaos that en-
sues.
But what are these symptoms that must
be recognized before they can be treated2
INeurasthenla is described In technical
terms as "a neurosis or affection OF the
nerves without organic basis" which
means that 1t is a disorder of the nervous
/. organization without any detachable change
in the nerve itself. No wonder the doctor
of bygOne days called II imagination He
could put a patient through the most
searching examination and yet see
nothing wrong.
The symptoms are twofold-bodily and
: mental. The mental are often the most
important.
The distempered mind
Has lost that concord OF harmonious powers
which form me sSSt OF happiness; and all Is
The general mental tone is one of de-
/ preston. Rarely 1t takes the form Of true
} melancholy, oftener of dread, indehnabIe
fear introspectiveness and painful fore
!. tq nfE In
capacity, coupled with the conviction OF
pressing need for action. intense and un-
: remitting resuessness, hypersensltiveness
to certain impressions and insensi biilty to
, others, inability to concentrate the mind
: either to focus II at will or to Danish
truant thoughts; through II all the har-
rowing sense OF losing ones grip upon
ones self, coupled with an impotent deter
mination and effort to get II back. The
unfortunate invalid loses all desire for
mental and physical work and becomes
thoroughly convinced that he is doomed.
The physical symptoms are headache in
somnia, backaehes, Indigestion, loss OF
weight and general evidences OF lack OF
, nutrition. These Of themselves are usually
, easily COPIED with. and the correction OF
! them is OF prime Importance, In fact, OF
absolute necessity, but they are not the
most important.
! Neurasthenia more than any other dis
b ease requires for Its treatment the finest
NATURALIZATION. And for this reason ali
the science and skill known to mankind
, Is OF little avail unless IL be reinforced
5 by the intuition that enables the physician
70 put himself en- rapport with the patient
and divine the subtle workings OF the dis
ease upon the mOrbidly sensitive mind OF
] the latter and 10 apply this knowledge in
such way as to establish his own innu-
} enee and win the patients confidence. lie
; needs a great deal Of that vast elemen-
: tai sympathy which only the human soul
} Is capable OF generating and emitting
E in steady and imitless foods. that
! Whitman tells about. Counsel is often
4 more. serviceable than physic. An Illus
, trlous hypochondriac once formulated
= some excellent ADVICE that applies 10 the
2 matter In hand:-"DO not however hope
5 wholly to reason away your troubles; do
not feed them with attention. and they