Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-11
SOME NERVOUS" CASES
By H. Addington Bruce

emphasizing the importance Of seek
II ing competent medical aid, instead of
attempting to treat ones self, in the
event of marked nervous symptoms making
their appearance, I would cite a few cases
from real life. And, first would~instance a
typical case Of tired business man."
The patient in this case, when he finally
consulted Washington physician, DR.. T. A.
Williams gave a long history of increasing
inability to attend even to the routine duties
of the his business. Nightly he returned
home feeling worn out, to have his evenings
darkened by thoughts of impending col
lapse, and his nights rest broken by Distress
ing dreams
II cannot concentrate, I. can no longer
trust my Judgment, II seem to be going to
pieces. Yet 1 have been careful not to over
work, and for months 1 have been taking
highly recommended nerve tonics,"
Answering the questions put to him by DR..
Williams, he denied having any special cause
for worry, such as financial difficulties or
family troubles, notorious producers of nerve
exhaustion. Nor, indeed, did DR.. Williams
deem it necessary to press questioning along
this line, after making a thorough physical
examination of his patient.
He found in the latter blood pressure of
less than 100 and other indications pointing
to deficient secretion by the adrenal glands.
Promptly he set about increasing the CLAN
duar output, and within a few weeks had
the satisfaction of seeing this victim of nerve
exhaustion begin to feel physically himself
once more, while also recovering ''his former
intellectual resiliency." -
To the same Washington physician came
another nervously exhausted man, who had
likewise been dosing himself with tonics to
no effect. Why the tonics did not help him
became apparent when DR.. Williams dscov-
cred that there was present blood press
ure in this instance not abnormally low but
abnormally high.
Put on dietetic an. other pressure-reduc-
ing measures, the nervous state improved as
the blood pressure fell So that ere long all
the exhaustion symptoms completely disap-
peared.
Compare also the case Of young woman,
stenographer, who became progressively
more irritable, and more trouble by insom-
MIA because of a gnawing pain in the shout
ders and the lower part of her neck. She,
too, made use of ton1cs with no benefit
whatever.
Nor did she obtain relief until medical
and psychological examination revealed that
all her nervous symptoms were secondary to
the pain in the neck. No organic cause for
this could be found. But it was found that
she habitually used a faulty STOPPING post
ure at the keyboard of her typewriter.
"You must sit BETTER" her physician in
formed her. Then you will no longer have
the pain of which you complain" The event
bore out his prediction, and coincident with
cessation of the pain came recovery from
the nervous exhaustion, of which there has
been no return for nearly two years.
So varied, in fact are the causes giving
rise to so-called nerve xhaustion-ranging
as they do from discordant modes of think
ing to the gravest of bodily ills - that I
might fill columns of this paper with a re-
cital of cases, each differing in it's origin
from the others. But I trust 1 have said
enough to insure acceptance of the warning:
eff nervous symptoms multiply and per-
sist, don't undertake to be your own doctor.
Go to some one who tell you what the
symptoms really mean, and what really
should be done for them"
Copyright, 1922, by The Associated News
papers.)