The Detroit times., 1915-10-23
Nervous Prostitution
az H. spDiNoToN BRUCE,
Author Of The Riddle Of Personality.
Psychology and Parenthood." etc

Naurasthenia. the technical name for nervous
prnstration. Is one Of The most widespread ana
most battling Of diseases. The difficulty Of treat
ing II arises from the fact that though II may
have in part physical basis, IL j. essentially
mental father than phys steal maiddy
A neurasthenio person Is the victim ~ wrong
mental attitude Phycho0gicai'v peaEing fc b.
suffering from dis.r ,rau11 Of his pcr-ocsf'iy.
lie can no !onger exercise his TliipoWei prop
arlv and he is a slave 20 his feelings
His chief symprJ u ir constant son taTlon u
frtigue He II obs-ssel with the belief tii-- he
cannot exert himself inca ally OF physically. Any
exertiOn indeed soon eyhaUs,5 him, fact which
has caused his diseas- - b.. frecuerl. tc.Wct
F LerYOus exhaustion
4 Usually. how ever there is no organic exhaus
tiop Of tie nervous system His Tat que seuaa-
t0ns are mainl' sometimes wholly, objective.
This explains why b. is that The soCaliet rest
cure" for nervous prOstration IS often Ineffective
4 Rot in some cases may be advisable. iH some
in NAV be indispensable. Also. In many cases.
IuniayoTaDie conditions ~ The stomach, blood.
ictc.
Bur the great tairg Is 70 lnd means ~ pleas.
luresbiy occupying tue patient mind. WHAT he
needs Is 100, rest 30 much az mental diversion.
lie has 10 be trained. directly or indirectly. 20
IoCcupy h.s Wl-d with soEerhing other than
Thoughts % himself and his symptoms.
His fatIgu" -ea-Hfl0 ions raE in Tho hT5r place
have had 81 physical cause The patient uat ra -
worked 40 hard. physically or mentally ~ -o
cause his system 80 berome overloaded with fae
POISONOUS produce NairG itIEuf i- known 'N
gcncrate Bur such substance DO NOT stay IN the
tsyztem long and have no serious consequence
unless one THINKS too much about the .en-afiens
2 TO which th"y sye rise
This s precisely he plight 81 Tho nelra-tler BE-
patient a. ore welknoWr specials. il mental
D and nervous disorders, Dr u. roriat. ,9uclstlj
, Expresses b.
In most CaseE 81 ueUrss'h ouIs pn arc not
s dealing with exhaustion .ol tte nervous ay-
. tenn hut merely with cons Iousne-- ~ memory
OF past muscular fatigue
ly worrying atust fho sensations which A.
FIRST were real enough. and by concentrating hi-
attention on them, tle nervous patient ha. abn0f
I Hallf intensified and prolonged tner Also b.,
r INDUS dwelling ou his organic -or.at.on- in
general, be often creates other symptoms hcs sides
The feeling of constant fatigue
lie may IN this way create -.faptofn which
lakes The form Of abnormal +,Ugif.rle.s 20 igfi
I or to noises. he may also crcata feelings ~
inumbues- in tho limbs. or muscular twitchiuss
ISunjectWely caused palpifaiiDu 81 the heart D.
.ahpther common symptom 10 cases Of neura-
tbenia
Whatever De -ymptoms. once 81 thorough med
zeal examination has made it certain that there
Us no organic disease Oh The nerovIs system the
, task OF The medical man Be- TO ind e. way "a
induce bis patient 20 FORGET his symptoms n
cease thinking about himself When this has
been accomplished cure soon follows
fi' difficulty is that every case requires care
tul individual treatment II is not "A question of
following routine treatment az in the admin
.stration OF quinine for malaria. IL ~ a cues
ton OF dscoyring just what will 80 strongly
interest each individual patient as to give his
lmind eyn 40 poeqeqn2 (Qo1pnsiea,