THE MODERN DISEASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 227, 23 March 1912, Page 8

THE MODERN DISEASE.

NEURASTHENIA IN LARGE FAMILIES.

Ail interesting article by <1 medical man oil neurasthenia, "the modern disease," appears, in the February number of the J.yndon Magazine, froui which it apppftvs that ''probably half of all the patients who come to doctors for advice are sufi'rt'fii'S from this all-invading com,plaint." "Although modern neurasthenia covers a large number of ailments, where nerves are not the chief part affected it is a fair working rule that if you notice in yourself any gradual increase, in nervousness or unusual fatigue at the end of your day's work, it is well worth while stopping to consider whether or not you are developing neurasthenia.

"The years between 25 and 40 seem to be particularly favorable for the development of the disease. The occupations which most conduce to neurasthenia. are, in general, those that entail an indoor sedentary life, and in particular employments such as clerkships, dressmaking, office work, etc., where the individual sits in one ' position all day long, with the mind closely concentrated on the work in hand.

"Heredity a not unimportant part in neurasthenia. ... A generally lowered vitality of the mother has much to do with the undoubted greater tendency younger members of very large families show to neurasthenia, as compared with their elder brothers and sisters.

"The last, and perhaps the most important, predisposing cause of all is malnutrition. Whether as the result of some prolonged serious illnes or simply from insufficient or unsuitable food, the ensuing lowered vitality of the body in general reacts directly on the nervous system, leaving it in an unusually vulnerable state.

"Overwork does not necessarily bring on neurasthenia; 'when acting in conjunction with one or more of the predisposing causes, particularly hereditary predisposition or unsuitable feeding, neurasthenia will sooner or later almost surely put in an appearance.

, "Lack of sleep, whether from too few I hours in bed or from insomnia, is an- |. other powerful exciting cause. "The experience of specialists in neurasthenia is that in not a few cases all the nervous symptoms found in the confirmed neurasthenic may be traced back to the local nerve irritation set up by some slight abnormality of one of the j special sense Organs.

"Two very important exciting causes, which until recently had been practically overlooked, are dyspepsia and unsound teeth. In fact, one of the most farreaching results of the moder nrecognition of neurasthenia as a disease in itself, apart from mere nervousness or hysteria, is the close relationship which has now been established between stomach and teeth disorders and the disease.

The late Dr. Thomas Savill, who knew more, perhaps, than anyone else about neurasthenia, was one of the first to note that a disordered stomach was a certain forerunner of disordered nerves.

"To prove his point he up some consecutive cases under treatment for neurasthenia at the Hospital for Nervous Diseases in Welbeck street. He found that two-thirds of them suffered from some form or other of stomach trouble, while in practically half of the cases the stomach symptoms had preceded the actual nervous symptoms by anything from a few months to several years.

"When enquiring into the origin of the dyspepsia in these cases, Dr. Savill was particularly struck with the frequency with which this was due to defective teeth."