Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-04-05
WORRY WORSE THAN DISEASE,
One Doctor Thinks IL the Only Cause

While DIR. Snow, the English anti yivi-
sectionist, announces that worry alone il
the cause OF cancer, Modern Mediciae
which DIR. Snow denounces. goes further
imam he does in concluding that worry in
itself is the great disease OF the age. In
the last two years text books have been
written on the subject
| IVORY" says one author, sis the root
OF all cowsrdly passions, and all the intro
| spsctiye forms OF depression are the chill
dren OF worry"
Eliminate it," he says.
Don't worry" says another.
"Caitivatc quiet and peaceful frame of
mind, urges third medical man.
There is nothing tangi bic in all that. u
remarks DIR. George l.. Walton, who has
recently written book ON the subject.
fireplace one thought with another
he advises, the idea being TO drive out the
worrisame thought. He says himself.
though, that the simple sdmonition not to
worry, sis like advising one not to walk
awkwardly who has never learned to walk
otherwise"
All the writer's agree that worry is due
to self-eonsciousness 'sWhatever is said,
done, or left undone by others,n remarks
DIR. c. W. Sslleeby, in his most recent
book, which IS about worry and nothing
else, sis analysed by the worrier with re-
ference to its bearing on himself; il others
ars indifferent IL depresses him; il they
appear serious he must have displeased
them; i; they smile 1t Is because be is ridic-
uloas. Thst they are thinking of their
own affairs is the last thought that enters
his head"
DIR. Walton informs his readers that he
worked out this formula for not worrying
when he was worried over being delayed
an hour by the failure of another to keep
an appointment with him:
These are the aunoyanees incident to
my business; to fret means that cannot
manage my business" On top of all this
ne quotes a verse by Wallace Irwin to
show what a silly thing worry is, particu-
larry in the view OF dire physical con-
sequence that attend it:
Suppose that this here vessel" said the
skipper with groan.
"ahouid lose or bearin's, run away, and
bump upon u stone;
suppose she'd shiyer and xo down, when save
ourselves We couldn't"
The mate replies:
sob, blow eyes,
suppose, agin. she shouldn't"
All the writers agree, however, that
worry is no laughing matter. They say
II is provocative OF more diseases than
microbes or bacteria. One writer says
that the worriment OF providing good
sanitation has hurt the people who did
the worrying about remedying it more
than the bad sanitation would hurt them.
DIR. Salleeby is Of opinion that a great
deal OF tuberculosis is due to worry. 1t
might be inferred that he was inclined
TO the belief that 1t was all due to this.
He says that il is no longer a theory, but
an accepted fact that there is no hereoi-
tsry consumption. The mierobe passes
those, be says, who can resist it. Bodily
resistance is definitely affected by the
state Of mind. Worry breaks sleep,
gives Indigestion, impairs vitality. and
makes the worrier prey of every disease.
Malnutrition due TO worry is followed
by the inevitable impairment Of the vital
organs, and this is the foreruuner of the
destruction OF the body. Dir. Saiieeby, in
effect, says all that, and much more, and
his contemporaries seem to regard it as a
matter OF course which goes without say
ing Some OF the more specific diseases
which are charged exclusively to worry
are nervous insanity, alcoholism, suicide,
Infection, sleeplessness and hysteria.
Dr. SaIleeby gives color to DIR. SHOWS
cancer theory By saying: my friend,
DIR. Schodeld, is of the opinion that worry
about cancer in any particular site may
actually determine its occurrence there,
but personally / attn unable to share his
opinion.
''Directly we turn, however, TO infee-
tious diseases" he added, "facts evident
aud indisputable demonstrate that all
kinds Of injection which depend on a
lowering standard of general health are
inquest ionably predisposed TO be worry"
Doubt and worry, being interchangeabl Bile
terms, be remarks that doubts of fitness
for task head to unfiiness".
All being agreed as to the physical evils
of worry, the question what Is 70 De done
about il seems TO be lit.le harder for
them to answer. They say that man is
predisposed to worry because he is man
and dissssociated from the beasts, who
live In the moment. Man is always look
ing ahead, ana they agree that he ought
10, but they insist if he can't do it cheer
fully he had better stop looking ahead at
all
Modern civilization is blamed for
much, in that it makes men keep con-
siantly out Of the present aud inject
themselves, 80 to speak, into the future.
An example OF this tendency is found
ia the case Of the average man or wo-
man ON a railroad journey, who will not
concern themselves coutentedly with TIE
landscape through which they are pass
ing, but will keep their minds fixed
s-us.x.s.st NJ e. ar, thar nd eQumt