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women, as they often spend much time in dressing the hair. Perhaps that 
statement is on a level with that of the poet who spoke about “scratching 
the head, thinking the thoughts would come,” etc. 
EXERCISE may be an essential to a writer or sedentary thinker, as for 
the man who writes all forencon and puts in the afternoon walk- 
ing, riding, rowing, gardening, etc. Here one would have to distinguish be- 
tween properly working up ideas and getting new ones, between resting the 
brain by a different occupation and getting new thoughts while so occu- 
pied; the new thoughts may perhaps come involuntarily while physically 
employed. 
Barus of yarious kinds seem to be a stimulant to some persons. 
“BrING IN HARNESS” is an important factor, as in the case of the 
business man who could not think, could not plan, while on a vacation, but 
the moment he returned to his dingy office his mind became very active. 
One man of affairs told me he would rather wear out than rust out, mean- 
ing that although he felt better physically while away from his old occu- 
pation his mind was dull; he would rather not feel so well bodily than 
to have ennui and boredom. 
SUBCONSCIOUS MENTAL ACTIVITY. 
Perhaps the most interesting phase of the whole subject is that of 
so-called subconscious cerebration, with its various synonyms, such as 
automatic cerebration, unconscious cerebration, etc. This form of mental 
activity is to be clearly distinguished from conscious activity on the one 
hand and from dreaming on the other; it is neither. Thus, while writing 
these notes, an old patient to whom the question was put gave me a good 
illustration. 
This woman is a clerk in a county treasurer’s office (I am not nam- 
ing the county). Ordinarily she does not dream, or so lightly that few 
of the dreams are recalled the next morning. She has what may be con- 
sidered good health, but at times does complain of some minor ills. Twice 
a year she works under great stress, at taxpaying time, when from early 
morning till late at night she is at the office, taking in money and receipt- 
ing for it. After a day or two of this hard work she continues the work 
at night, “in her mind,” to the exclusion of sound or refreshing sleep—the 
inind automatically and in spite of all her efforts to prevent going over and 
