Sensible Remarks About Brain Wear and Ravages in the Human Family.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 361, 20 April 1889, Page 4

Sensible Remarks About Brain Wear and Ravages in the Human Family.

How bo prolong human life is a question of j. personal interest to every man, and the j duty of making an attempt to do so is one „ that particularly rests with the medical c profession. Whon an individual has at- a tamed to full development and sound health — say at forty— the expectancy of life may be twenty-five or thirty years ; for the \ individual there- are great risks, but with i the aggregate of mankind such questions i may be calculated with businesslike ac- t curacy. There are two great factors which ] concern the prolongation of a human life — 1 the inheritance and the conditions which i make up a life history of the individual. The inheritance ot longevity horn one or both parents is a powerful factor, and one that carries great weight with life insurance oflices. This is a more important factor than an infancy free of weakness, provided that the infantile ailments be dependent upon temporary conditions of defective nutrition, or conditions incident to the Stages of development only. Tho lato Emperor William and many other public men of great age and uselul life illustrate that a ioeble youth may bo followed by a robust and prolonged life. Even conditions of infantile marasmus may be followed by subsequent good development, as in the case of Sir Isaac Newton. We now proceed to speak of average people, for a ' perfect man ' can hardly be said to exist ; we shall consider average people, especially as we see them in town life, j and tho special conditions we desire to note are the habits, diet and wear of life. There i.s no d ;übc as to the importance of the habits of Hire affecting longevity ; temperance in light things, in activity and in restraint, in regularity in morning rising and I in woik as well as in zesting and bleeping ; uniform industry is us conducive to health as Ls regularity in diot. The acquisition of regularity in habits is largely due to early training, and in this way a wisely dhecteel school discipline probably does much to form a sound and steadily-acting nerve system, such as gives a man the power of lesisting adverse influences, and piolonging physical health. From the period of infancy upward a sound and wellknit brain has. much to do with the performance ot a healthy constitution. The relation of diet to longevity has often been discussed ; wo can only say here that the diet should be adapted, in quality and in kind, to the work of the individual ; while such articles as alcohol, tobacco, and tea, if used at all, should be employed in moderation by those who wish for a stable constitution and prolonged life. Passing over such important considerations as being familiar to most members of the profession, we come to the great question of the cau?es of wear in life — the outcome of the frictions of life which all must meet with more or less. The various tactois at work, especially in a town life, make impics&ions on the brain which lead to fatigue and premature wear. The strong-brained individual may not be hurt thereby ; the weaker man is exhausted by biich impressions from without, and a second 1 generation under such influences is likely ' to sullei through loss of tone and vitality, "' in ceil structures rather than in actual ? stature or measurement. City hie necesbaiily produces a rapid and unceasing series i of impressions, and calls for constant exer5 tion. The laws ot sanitation and cerebral " hygiene should, then, bo carefully studied. 1 It "is desirable to have what quietness is ' possible during brain work, and the necessity for proper ventilation as a means of 1 maintaining mental energy is well-known. fc It might lessen brain wear in many offices " if electric lighting were substituted for gas ' illumination. Good digestion is es&ential 1 to continued work with good lasting power. 1 Late lising and a still more hurried s , luncheon and rush back to work, followed, ' at the conclusion of the day, by a heavy • meal when the man is wearied, often tend T to exhaustion as much as unavoidable presI sure of business. A most rational refresh- • ment after heavy brain work is to partake s of light lefreshment and then rest for half • an hour before dinner ; thus the power of ' digestion and social enjoyment are restored '* to the man. Probably the chief means of II preparing a man to withstand the wear of :*: * business lifo is by a caietul training, both physical and mental, before he enters upon the struggle and wear of business. One means of increasing the chances of longevity is by ti aining the child wisely. Many a premature breakdown of health is due to the want of pre'iminary exercise, which 11 would not be neglected by the athlete with5 out disaster.