OCR Text |
Show NERVOUSNESS AND ITS REMEDIES One of the results, or, I might say, the penalties of advanced civilization is seen in the prevalence of the great number of ailments classed as nervous diseases. Our ancestors were scarcely aware that they had any nerves, so far as their presence was made known by symptoms attendant upon their disease. Among the savages, the semi civilized nations and among the lower classes of European peasantry nervous diseases were unknown. It is among the most highly cultured, those who live in cities, and whose habits or social life are cultivated, that nervousness prevails to the greatest extent. Within the past fifty years the manner of living of the whole nation has changed. The inventions and appliances by which time and space have been almost annihilated have given an impulse to do everything in a hurry. The eager haste to accumulate wealth, the struggle for fame and position in civilized society demand an intensity of effort which none but sound minds in sound bodies can endure, and has caused men and women to live at a much higher pressure than did our grandparents, who were content to travel by stage-coach [stagecoach] instead of a railway car, and to send their messages by postriders [post riders] instead of telephone. The concentration of people in cities develops and intensifies the nervous energies by its manifold and constant excitements, and so tends to multiply nervousness in all its forms. Modern civilization with its numerous devices for comfort, luxury and sensual enjoyment has rendered the plain and frugal life of our ancestors distasteful. The tendency of the popular literature of to day [today] is to cultivate a morbid activity of the imagination, which is far more injurious to physical and mental health than over-action of the reflective faculties. The reading of certain works of fiction produces a temporary excitement which is following by a corresponding depression. Until within a comparatively few years nervousness was considered merely an irritability of temper, a mental quality. It is now recognized by physicians as a physical disease. It makes itself manifest in many ways. Among its more common symptoms are anxiety of mind, sleeplessness, neuralgia, nervous sick headache, nervous dyspepsia, nose cold or hay fever, etc. Certain of these symptoms were formerly regarded to be diseases of themselves, and were treated without regard to causation. The failure to obtain symptoms, is often due to the fact that the symptoms were treated and not the disease. The severity of the symptoms can be mitigated and perhaps for the time entirely removed by the use of various remedies, aided by moral treatment. Anxiety of mind from whatever cause induced, if long continued, may occasion functional disturbances in various organs of the body. It may be the occasion of dyspepsia, palpitation of the hear, inflammation of the brain, etc. If treatment is adopted early it can usually be cured. "Moral therapeutics" are of more value than medicine. A change of scene, absence from one's accustomed duties and surroundings, will relieve in many instances the strain upon the tired brain and allow it to recover its lost tone and vigor without the aid of medicine. Sleeplessness is a symptom of nervous exhaustion. Long continued wakefulness disorders the whole system and may lead to serious diseases of the brain and is a cause of insanity. A sleepless night cannot be recovered from by any siesta during the day. It is only during the night that refreshing sleep can be procured. Persons troubled with wakefulness should take daily exercise in the open air. It is a good idea to take a walk just before retiring. It is a popular error to suppose that eating just before bed time tends to wakefulness; on the contrary a hearty supper of plain easily digested food rather predisposes to sleep. This is due to the fact that the process of digestion requires an increased amount of blood in the organs that perform it and consequently less is sent to the brain. It is necessary, however, that the food taken shall be of a digestible and non-irritating character. Most of the cases of wakefulness among women are of a passive variety, which require nutritious food and a certain amount of stimulants. Of the latter, sherry wine is the best. A wine glass full with dinner ; never between meals. Next to sherry, good beer, which may be taken at any time. Alcoholic stimulants should never be taken except at meals. By following this rule, there is no danger of acquiring the habit of intemperance. In what is known as the active or athenic? form of wakefulness -- which oftener occurs in males -- stimulants would increase rather than diminish the difficulty. A mustard poultice applied to the stomach, or cold foot bath just before retiring, will sometimes do good. Sleep always begins at the extremities; hence, not only the mind should be at rest, but the feet should be kept still. Various medicines are used to produce sleep, but most of them are of such a nature that their use, except under the direction of a physician is unadvisable. The only preparation that I can recommend in a letter of this nature is the elixir bromide of potash to be taken one to two teaspoonfuls , according to the case, one hour before retiring, and repeated every three hours until sleep is produced. Nervous disease often manifests itself in the form of a sick headache, and is due to some irritation of the nerve which is connected with the stomach. The medical agents which in my experience have afforded most relief in these cases are, powdered guarana, thirty grams to be taken in water and repeated every hour until relief is obtained, or liquor ammonia acetatis (spiritus mindereris), one or two teaspoonfuls every hour. During the attack the patient should remain in a horizontal position, and if there is much flushing of the face denoting congestion, apply a bag of hot salt to the nape of the neck. Coffee will relieve about one-half the cases in which it is tried. The relief may be temporary or permanent. Give it hot, very strong, and without sugar or milk, and on an empty stomach. As before stated, all the above so-called diseases are but varieties of nervous disease, and a cure can not be expected until the cause has been ascertained and removed. Owing to the great prevalence of nervous disease, nervous remedies are in special demand. The danger is that when one particular remedy becomes popular it will be used to excess, and in the end prove detrimental. All nerviaos? are necessarily perilous agents, and should not be used indiscriminately, only under the direction of a physician. |