92 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



door in injuriousness to complete muscular inactivity ; and it is 

 remarkable, in looking over tables of the occupations of consump- 

 tives, to find that, among those who are reported to have been occu- 

 pied in out-door work, the majority have belonged to pursuits which 

 imply an extraordinary muscular expenditure. 



Rule VII. Excessive Mental Exertion should be avoided by the 

 Consumptive. — It is the fate of some members of the human family, 

 who are of consumptive taint, to have minds of a very active and 

 laborious character. As children, these love reading, and pursuits of 

 an intellectual kind. They are specially precocious ; and admiring 

 parents, with proud hopes as to the future of their offspring, encour- 

 age an exertion which ought ever to be kept in bounds. As these 

 precocities grow up, their mental development runs out of proportion 

 to the development of the body. On this, muscular labor becomes a 

 bore, and the study or desk the only enjoyable place in life. The 

 result is, not that the mind by its overwork directly wears out the 

 body, but that the body is neglected, and its physical degeneration 

 hastened. 



The bad effects show themselves first, according to my observa- 

 tion, in derangement of the digestive system. In young persons of 

 consumptive taint, the impaired nutrition of the whole body, incident 

 to the impaired digestion and broken sleep, tells speedily on the res- 

 piration, and supplies the first link in the fatal disease. Let all the 

 absurd poetry about " those dying young whom the gods love " go 

 its way. The gods love and help those who live naturally — and these 

 die old. 



I have seen so much mischief arise from the overwork of the mind, 

 in consumptive children and youths, that I have dwelt no longer than 

 is really necessary in treating on the importance of the present rule. 

 If I had a child of decidedly consumptive tendency, he should scarcely 

 touch books at all. He should be taught orally as much as possible ; 

 he should be brought up in the open air, and to out-door sports and 

 occupations ; and he should be encouraged to enter into every inno- 

 cent game where the muscles are brought into vigorous play. 



The choice of an occupation is best made by adopting the exclusion 

 process. Exclude every calling in which close confinement to the 

 study, the shop, the counting-house, or any other house, absorbs the 

 greater part of life. The agricultural life is, on the whole, the best. 



Every occupation will be modified with advantage by the enjoy- 

 ment of ennobling pleasures. The dance, the lecture, the drama, mu- 

 sic, is each good in its season, when attainable without injury to 

 health. But from all crowded assemblies I warn the consumptive to 

 keep away. The pleasure derived from them is nothing in compari- 

 son to the evil insured in obtaining it. 



Music has a grand influence on some minds, and may be cultivated 

 with advantage under due regulations ; b;it upon wind-instruments 







