The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-11

nish the scientists much material and they are discussing the cause and effect-particularly the disastrous ef- feet on the whole nervous system. The scientists do not pretend to analyze emo tions which they say are most barfling. But they are frank in what they have to say in regard to the waste of energy, caused by a lack of self-control and they are appealing on the grounds of health and happiness to womankind towards better trained mind, to what they call a better understanding of her own mental life.
 The fuzzy minded" woman is consid- cred almost a helpless specie. The scien- tists are selecting women who are sup posed to already know the injury that is the result of anger but who loose their balance when there is least cause for it.
 Cases where women give away to emo- tional storms are given to emphasize the effects upon the physical as well as men tai wellbeng.
 In recent article in MT Boks journal, Dr.. Luther Guicl1 discusses the subject at length, and among other things he says:
 We have already noticed a capital H. lustration of the "anger-reactlon." Some typical elements in it are: increased heart rate, quickened respiration, dry mouth, clenched hands, tense arm muscles, spine drawn back into a more or less crouch ing position, tight-shut jaws, contracted pupils, shrlll voice.
 In grief the physical signs are almost the opposite. Voluntary movements are made with great difficulty the tone is gone from the muscles, and this means feeling of weariness and lasstude. The neck droops forward, the muscles of cheek and jaw are relaxed (we speak of a per sons face 'falling') the eyelids droop.
 In extreme grief people are "prostrated" that is, their leg and back muscles re- fuse to support them and they lie on the ground or the bed. This is accompanied by the interesting and not well understood phenomenon of lachrymation-weeping and by spasmodic movements of the dn- phragm-sobbing.
 And 1t goes much deeper than that. too It has been proved that every emotional state involves changes-greater or less
  der, the various glands. The whole body alters under every emotional wave. The size of the arteries and capillaries fuctu- ates under their influence. The emotional life is all tied up in these organic changes It has no existence apart from them.
 And that gives us our cue; at last to the control of the emotion So soon as we can follow back this vague and con fusing thing to certain groups of bodily muscles We have secured a concrete base of operations-a point of departure
 Some of our muscles are not within our voluntary control-the heart, for example, and the muscles of stomach and intes- tines. Others we may control partially such as the muscles of the eyes and lungs Still others we have practically complete control over, the arms, for instance. and the back, the legs, the face, the larynx, the tongue, the neck. These are subject to our will power; we can make them do what We choose.
 We have seen that under the sway of emotion these muscles tend to act in cer- tain ways But we can make them act in other ways if we choose.
 Most of the undesirable emotions that We go through in the course of every day life are not violent in any such de- gree; they come to us in diluted and mixed form. But they can be controlled by exactly the same method Suppose you are sad and discouraged Stand up straight, take deep breaths. discover what tone of voice is most cheerful, and then say Good morning" to somebody. Tell a funny story at the breakfast table
 That Is not heroic; 1t is mere common sense The muscles of your larynx are within your control you can make them say what you want. And if you carry the thing through tly-persistently- you have broken up the bodily symptoms of sadness, and the right mental state will surely follow. That can be relied upon.
 The wrong attitude of mind is to fight against the bad thing The right atti- tude is to act the good thing. Our mus cles are our only implements of expres- sion, and they can be made to express the positive, thef constructive, the joyful at titude. This is sincerity of the highest type. We become the thing that we act: and if we always act the best thing that we have within our power we are on the road to becoming that thing actually. We are living our best selves-that is all.