Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-14

assurance of essential physical soundness;
bv lifting the burden of fear that lies so
heavily on the minds of many and is re-
f1ected in thousand and one physical symp-
toms.
1t is not sufficient that physician should
clap his patient on the back and use vigorous
language in refusing to take fee from one
whom he is pleased to term swell man."
This is often done by doctors who can i'll
afford it; but it has been overdone with the
unfortunates whom we class as neurasthe-
MICS, psvchasthenics, etc. In some few cases
such a course is proper, and it works; but the
real neurasthenIc Tor psychasthen1c, II you
please) knows that he is not well man, even
though his malady be largely of the mind.
In practical sense the nervous failure IS
sick man, and his confidence must be gained
by admitting what he knows to be true But
often he needs some physical upbuilding,
and above all he requires the assurance that
he is not hopeless coward and that, while
his troubles may be born of cowardice, fear
may be killed by that courage which we have
claimed to be merely the product of mental
and physical processes that may readily be
set in motion in any human organism that
has not passed the border line of positive
degeneration or insanity.
For the mild, temporary, so-called "neu-
rasthenia,' which constitutes merely nor
NAL reaction to the worry and fatigue that IS
a natural part of our existence, there IS no
need to invoke the aid of the elaborate ma
chinery of systematic psychotherapy. The
man who is poisoned by overeating, or SIM
ply tired out, will be bored to death by your
psycho-analyst. He merely needs to be
cleared of his poison, or given rest from
monotonous toll or worry. 1t the condition
is more Serious and borders on true psychas-
thenia, some caution IS necessary. Too
much "fuss and feathers" may communicate
to the patient an obsession that his trouble
is peculiar, and requires extreme measures.
Before putting him through the third de-
gree of psycho-analysis, and fishing in his
S1bconscious stream for some submerged
difficulty it is better to try and give him the
courage he lacks by commonsense, heart
to heart talk. He can grasp the idea OF cour-
age, and if you convince him that he can
summon it to his aid, and exercise the evil
spirits that possess him, you will have shown
him short cut to health which does not re-
uuire to be described in fanciful or obscure
terms.
1t is unwise to exaggerate the Importance
of mental suggestion or persuasion as ther-
apeutic weapon. 1t seems to be an infirmity
Of the human mind that each new theory de-
mands and usually secures from its advo-
Gates a positive and narrow allegiance, which
involves an absolute discard of all old theo-
ries. "The King is dead: long live the King!'
is the motto of the multitude, whether in
politics or science. Because the power of
psycho-analysis and mental persuasion to
Danish some forms of disease has been
proved beyond possibility of doubt, there
are some who would limit the science of
medical treatment to psychological seances,
or pleasant tea parties, where cheerfulness
and optimism take the place of calomel and
quinine.
1t is unfortunate that some of our most
brilliant scientific workers in neurology are
so taken up with the power of mental Their
apeutics that they ignore or belittle the
influence of systemic toxemia or other
physio- chemical processes in poisoning and
deranging the mind. 1t is assumed by such
enthusiasts that appeals to the resources of
the mind will meet with response that can
not be elected by appeals to the physiological
resources of the material body, even by the
most skilful system of upbuilding.
Most of US have had occasion to know
that deranged physical system can pro-
foundry influence our state OF mind. Fear
and depression are the natural accompani-
ments of certain physical states and con-
stitute the symptoms of the brief attacks of
neurasthenia from which few people are
wholly and permanently free. 1t is only
when the mental state Is PROLONGED and &c