Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-29
Bv JOHN HARVEY KELLOGG, M. d., L,
ReIary

EFT your mind relax. Let your muscles
IL relax
Tension Cor Attention" as the psycholo-
gists call iD Is not only mental-it Is mus
cular. Your muscles, constituting half the
entire weight Of your body, are in a con-
slant state Of sttention-readiness for ac-
tlon.
This Is a part OF the general plan OF your
body to keep itself in a state OF prepared
ness. The muscles are "at attention. SO
as to be ready for instant action
This state of attention is maintained by
a rapid succession of impulses raining down
upon every muscle of the body at a rate
of ten or twelve impulses a second.
The contraction is so rapid that II pro-
duces n musical note. BY putting the tips
of the fingers in the ears and holding the
muscles firm and tense one can hear tho
beat of a low-pitched tone that Is a little
below the lowest pipe of a pipe organ. 1t
is Sc low as to be felt rather than heard.
The state of attention which is main
tanned constantly by the muscles uses up
about 40 per cent of all the energy expended
by the body. Two-fifths of the entire food
taken into the body ON an ordinary diet Is
used up in this muscle attention, In which
no work is done whatever-simply the hold
ing of your muscles in n state Of readiness
for quick action.
And, incidentally, this attention Is use
full to the body, because 1t is means by
which heat is produced. Thus It really
is not wasted, since by it the body is kept
warm.
This explains why person shlvers when
he Is cold-and the degree Of tension must
be Increased in order TO produce an in
creased amount OF heat
This fact is of great physiologic i'm
portance in the body. When the body is in
state of attention, as when listening or
in suspense, expectancy, apprehension,
worry, or what Is commonly called
nervousness"---as when one is restless and
cannot sit still, or has the "fldgets'-the
tension IS very greatly increased and nat
urally the expenditure of energy Is also in
creased-may even be doubled.
One may observe this by putting the
tips OF the fingers in the ears noting the
vibration, and then making the arms tight
Note how much louder the muscle note is
showing that the expenditure of energy has
been very greatly increased with increased
tension.
This explains why one becomes tired when
waiting for train or in a doctors office
Few experiences are more tiresome than
waiting
1t also explains why worry and nervous.
ness use up energy so rapidly. One who
lives constantly in a state of high tension
may easily expend an amount of energy
equivalent to the energy consumed in walk
ing ten or fifteen miles, or even more every
day.
Such use Of energy is extremely waste.
full and harmful. Nervousness and worry
thus reduce the weight of the body and
produce haggard, worn appearance
The body is in a state of constant rest
| only when completely relaxed This is
one reason why sleep in the midst of noise
| is not as refreshing as sleep under quiet
conditions. certain amount of tension
| Is maintained even during sleep, and this
amount is greatly increased by noises thai
cause more or less reaction, 'even though
| they may not waken the sleeper.