10 THE TONER LECTURES. 



veloped pneumonia after a campaign of toil and excitement. Simi- 

 lar instances could be given were it worth while. 



Although perhaps not as important a factor in the causation of 

 disease in joolitical as in commercial life, the emotional element 

 plays a large part. It is, as has just been shown, often a life of 

 clamor and excitement. It is one too often of uncertainty, disap- 

 pointment, and vain longing. Even to the man who is compara- 

 tively well fitted for his work, the political vocation in this country 

 is never assured. The new Representative, for instance, feels that 

 it is imperative for him to speedily make a career. Others aspire 

 to his place, which can only be held by hard work, and too often also 

 by low arts. The faults and foibles of a public man are laid bare, 

 his mistakes are magnified, and his best efforts are sometimes mis- 

 interpreted by a thoughtless or merciless press. The tremendous 

 sense of responsibility which important positions impose is a con- 

 stant strain, particularly upon the higher orders of mind. This 

 burden of responsibility, conjoined with Herculean labors, mental 

 and physical, destroyed some of our greatest statesmen during "the 

 Civil War. 



To such causes as these must be added the lack of recreation, and 

 che excesses, excitements, and irregularities of social life at the 

 National Capital, although it does not come within my purpose to 

 consider either these, or the abuse of alcohol and tobacco, in the 

 present jiaper. 



Leaving the political and official circles, let us next glance at 

 some of the conditions which lead to mental over-work and its con- 

 sequences among the professional classes. 



Defects in our system both of medical and legal education are 

 at the root of failure in health, no less than of professional failure, 

 in many cases. The physician or lawyer, half-educated and half- 

 tr&ined in youth, and yet ambitious and naturally able, is com- 

 pelled to put forth efforts doubly tasking and straining because his 

 mind has not been systematically developed for his life-work. 



Physicians ordinarily do not afford many illustrations of pre- 



