Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-02
WORRY AND DEATH.
Mental Strain Fatal to Many Men
Induces Physical Breakdown.

rrom the New York Herald.
The recent investigation of life insurance
troubles and other incident inquiries per-
tanning to financial matters have been fol-
lowed by physical breakdowns retirements
TO sanitariums, reimbursements of misap-
| propriated funds, flights to foreign coun-
tries, lodging of subpoenas, equ!vocations
before the courts-all tending to show the
physical strain and worry Of the stern call
Ing to account.
To notice the uniform effects of these do
lnss on individuals is a lesson in psychol-
ogy and bears on the consequent ex ha ustion
of the individual The instances are too
numerous to particuarize, but they follow
a common law The mental and physical
strain Is In proportion to the gravity of the
cause, no matter if from the individual
standpoint 1t be more imaginary than real.
Inc mental or purely nervous collapse Is
worst OF all. 1t aeccntuates mental suffer
ing to such striking degree that the term
broken heart is applied to the victims.
While broken hearts" as such are not
found in autopsies 1.-The broken spirit" ex-
plains all the phenomena in a more direct
and logical way.
Men die of the worry, either proximately
or remotely. Even the strongest are not
safe. The influence of the mind over the
body Is well-known condition. Instances
are on record in which violent insanity has
followed bad news; hair is reported to have
turned white In a single night from the
same cause. while In other cases victims
have. dropped in their tracks as if.shot and
nave died instantly from apoplexy and heart
failure.
In the majority of instances. however. the
dissolution is slower but mo less sure The
nervous system, being at the bottom of all
functional impulses virtually controls every
vital organ and may SO inhbit or prevent
Its healthful action as to eventually bring
about actual organic disease; first comes
perverted nutrition. next congestive and in
fiammatory changes and then tissue degen-
Grafton.
Much more SO is this in evidence when
one or more of the organs are ailng at the
time. 1t is admitted for instance that
most persons have their weak physical
points. With one it may be the heart with
another the kidneys, the lungs, brain or
liver. 1t Is these crippled organs that bear
the first strain. but over all the purely men,
tai perturbation is dominant
Thus bad news Is usually withheld from
the sick one in fear of ultimately disastrous
results. A melancholy instance to the con-
trary was that Of a prominent financier,
whose death was evidently fastened by his
lnslstence TO learn an unfavorable verdict
on his case. All his existing bodily nfirm-
tiles took an instant change for the worse,
and although there was subsequent effort
to rally the reaction was merely temnorarv
and Elusive.
1t is certainly more than coincidence
that three of the late presidents of life in
surance companies became seriously i'll inn
iiiSEi.ieSiy ditef certain disclosures OF the
Armstrong committee EScept for the
worry. disappointment and the mental de-
preston of the ordeal, it is far to presume
that each and all might have enjoyed the
usuai health or men of their age. These
are the lessons of an overstrain of nerve
mind and physical strength which can be
applied to ALL In every walk of life, and
every kind of work, and must sooner or
later bring their disastrous results Alas
each one believes he can stand the shock
better than his fellow