258 MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE. 



the wholesome air, but because there is a constant suc- 

 cession of new and exciting objects, which as constant- 

 ly exercises the mind, and without requiring so much at- 

 tention as to at any time create mental fatigue. Such a 

 degree of mental excitement, with the muscular exer- 

 cise, and pure atmosphere of the country, undoubtedly 

 conspire to form a train of invigorating means hardly to 

 be expected from any which can be employed at home. 



It is entirely in consequence of the action of the brain 

 thus excited, or the employment of the mind, by the suc- 

 cession of new objects, that a journey produces such dif- 

 ferent results on the health of the invalid, from that to be 

 obtained by the employment of the same amount of the 

 same kind of exercise at one place. The fact itself, is 

 well known, otherwise why do physicians order their 

 patients to take journeys far from home, when with re- 

 spect to the comforts and habits of. life, they could be 

 much better provided for there, than abroad. Why not 

 then, ride thirty or forty miles a day, one way, or anoth- 

 er, and sleep at home, to which every invalid is attach- 

 ed, and to most of whom the leaving of their beds, rooms, 

 and families, is such a trial as is often not easily to be 

 overcome. From all we have said of the connection 

 which exists between the brain and muscles, the reason 

 is obvious why little or no improvement may be expect- 

 ed from such exercise. The patient expects nothing 

 new he has already seen over and again all that he ex- 

 pects to see during his ride : he therefore begins his dai- 

 ly task without excitement, and going through it without 

 interest, arrives at the place whence he started, fatigued 

 in body and mind, and discouraged, not only because he 

 finds no improvement, but because he dreads the very 

 idea of having to perform the same task on the morrow. 



On the contrary, during a journey, there is a constant 

 change of scenery, or of objects, or of persons, which is 

 just sufficient to keep the mind in gentle and salubrious 

 excitement, and which acting through the brain, sup- 

 plies the muscular system with the requisite degree of 

 nervous power, and thus the two systems, (the muscular 

 and nervous,) are kept in a state of pleasant and healthy 

 equilibrium, which conspires gradually to bring both into 

 a condition of firmness and health. The patient, after 



