Result of Idleness.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 219, 10 September 1887, Page 8

Result of Idleness.

Theke is as much danger in hurting the brain by idleness as by overwork. According to a writer in " Faith and Work," Dr. Farquharson argues that intellectual power is lessened by the listlessnoss in which'the well-to-do classes generally spend their lives. Under such conditions the brain genei^ally loses its health, and although eqnal to the demands of a routine existence, fe unable to withstand the strain of sudden emergency. So, when a load of work is unexpectedly thrown on it in its unprepared state, the worst consequences of what may be called overwork show themselves. Similarly, a man accustomed to sedentary pursuits is likely to be physically injured by taking suddenly too violent exercise. As to the amount of mental work that may safely be done, Dr. Farquharson says : " So* long a.s a biain-worker is able to sleep we'll, and to take a fair proportion of outfloor exercise, it may safely be said that it is not necessary to impose any special limits on the actual number of hours which he devotes to his labours. But when what its g'^ierally known as wony stops in to complicate matteis, when cares connected with family airnngementf, or with those numerous peisonal details which we can seldom escape, intervene, or when the daily occupation of life is in itself a fertile source of anxiety, then we find one or other of theso three safeguards broken down."