NETTLE TREE 



4130 



NEURASTHENIA 



temperate regions in both the KaMern and the 

 ;i hemisp! 



NETTLE TREE, a North American i: 

 greatly re.-, mhling the common elm. and be- 

 longinu' to tin ::iilv. It is also called 



hackbcrry and sugar lnrr>j, and is found in 

 Southern Canada, west to Puget Sound, and 

 south to Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, T. 



\, \v Mexico. The nettle tree grows from 

 fifty to 12.') feet liigli. sending up a slender 

 trunk covered with rough, brown or pale-gray 

 hark. It may he distinguished by its branches, 

 which are less drooping and more horizontal 

 than those of the elm, and by its leaves, which 

 are smaller and of a brighter green color. For 

 shade and ornamental purposes the nettle tree 

 v satisfactory, and should be planted more 

 commonly than it is, because the birds love its 

 r berries, which hang on the branches all 

 winter. The wood is coarse grained and not 

 very strong, but is utilized for making fences 

 and inexpensive furniture. 



There are several other species of nettle tree, 

 found in Europe, Asia and South Africa, and 

 there is also a smaller species of American hack- 

 berry. The latter is found in the Ohio and the 

 Mississippi valleys. The European species is 

 valued for its hard wood, which takes a high 

 polish. Shafts, axletrees, oars, hoops, walking 

 sticks, whipstocks and hayforks are made from 

 various parts of this tree. 



NEUCHATEL, nuhshatd', a town in West- 

 tin Switzerland, on the banks of the Lake of 

 Neuchatel, capital of the canton of that name. 

 It is twenty-five miles west of Bern. Built on 

 a slope rising from the shores of the lake, the 

 place has a charming situation. Among its in- 

 king features are an abbey church dating 

 from the twelfth century, and the old castle of 

 the counts of Neuchatel, now used as a gov- 

 ernment building. Many fine public buildings, 

 a university, museums of art and natural his- 

 tory and a well-equipped public library bear 

 witness to the progressiveness of the town. 

 Neuchatel is a railroad center of considerable 

 importance; the chief industries are watchmak- 

 ing and the manufacture of jewelry and elec- 

 trical apparatus. Population in 1910, 23,505. 



Lake of Neuchatel, the third largest lake of 

 Switzerland, and the largest lying wholly within 

 that country, of historic interest as the former 

 location of a group of lake dwellers (see LAKE 

 DWELLINGS). It is situated in the western part 

 of the republic, occupying portions of the can- 

 tons of Neuchatel, Vaud, Fribourg and Bern, 

 and has an area of about ninety-two square 



miles. On its shores are a number of towns and 

 villages, and several rivers How into it. The 

 lake is practically an expansion of the "River 

 Tluele. which enters it at the southwestern end 

 and Hows out again at the northeastern. Neu- 

 chatel. the most important town on its banks, 

 is connected by steamers with 1 1st a\ aver, a 

 town of historic importance situated on the 

 southeastern shore. There are attractive for- 

 ests and vine-clad slopes along the lake; in 

 other portions the shore is low and swampy. 



NEURALGIA, nural'jia, as most commonly 

 used, a term applied to pain in the nerves of 

 the face and head. Neuralgic pains, however, 

 may occur in other parts of the body, as in the 

 hip and thigh (sciatica), or the stomach (gas- 

 tric neuralgia). Neuralgia differs from neuritis 

 (which see) in that it is a symptom of disease 

 or of unhealthful conditions; neuritis is a dis- 

 ease of the nerves themselves. The chief symp- 

 tom of neuralgia is pain. In some cases this 

 takes the form of a dull, long-continued ache; 

 and in others there are attacks of limited dura- 

 tion but of almost unbearable severity. Many 

 sufferers find that the pain is more intense at 

 night. 



Anaemia (which see) is one of the most fre- 

 quent causes of the ailment, but facial neural- 

 gia may be the result of unhealthful conditions 

 in the eyes, nose or teeth. In many cases cures 

 have been effected by attention to these parts. 

 Anyone subject to neuralgic attacks should en- 

 deavor to improve the general health of the 

 body by rest and careful dieting to build up 

 impoverished blood and weak tissues. " Neu- 

 ralgia is the prayer of a nerve for healthy 

 blood" is the definition of one physician. Ex- 

 posure to cold and dampness should also be 

 avoided. Drugs to relieve intense pain are 

 sometimes helpful, but should never be taken 

 except when prescribed by a reliable physician. 

 Neuralgia may be a symptom of several dis- 

 eases, including gout, rheumatism, diabetes and 

 malaria, and the chief remedy in such cases is 

 treatment of the disorder. S.C.B. 



For a special form of facial neuralgia, see Tic 

 DOULOUREUX. 



NEURASTHENIA, nuras thc'nia, from two 

 Greek won Is, neuron, meaning nerve, and as- 

 thenc-ia, meaning weakness, is a name for gen- 

 eral exhaustion of the nervous system. The 

 majority of cases are caused by dissipation, 

 worry, bad habits of eating and, occasionally, 

 by overwork. In most instances the patient is 

 suffering from poisons developed in the system 

 by constipation, infected tonsils, decayed teeth, 



