228 EXCESSIVE EXERCISE OF THE BRAIN. 



observation tells us that we have numerous other 

 important organs of motions, sanguification, diges- 

 tion, circulation, and nutrition*, all demanding exer- 

 cise and the open air as essential both to their own 

 health and to that of the nervous system, it is worse 

 than folly to shut our eyes to the fact, and to act as 

 if we could, by denying it, alter the constitution of 

 nature, and thereby escape the consequences of our 

 misconduct. 



Reason and experience being thus set at naught 

 both by parents and teachers, in the management 

 of the young, the latter naturally grow up with the 

 notion that no such influences as the laws of organi- 

 zation exist, and that they may follow any course 

 of life which inclination leads them to prefer, with- 

 out injury to health, provided they avoid what is 

 called dissipation. It is owing to this ignorance, 

 that we find young men of a studious or literary 

 habit enter heedlessly upon an amount of mental 

 exertion, unalleviated by bodily exercise or intervals 

 of repose, which is quite incompatible with the con- 

 tinued enjoyment of a sound mind in a sound body. 

 Such, however, is the effect of the total neglect of 

 all instruction in the laws of the organization during 

 early education, that it becomes almost impossible 

 to warn an ardent student against the dangers to 

 which he is exposing himself, and nothing but actual 

 experience will convince him of the truth. 



In the first number of the " American Annals of 

 Education," the reader will find an instructive article 

 on the necessity of combining bodily with mental 

 exercise. " For twenty years and more," says the 

 writer, "the unnatural union of sedentary with 

 studious habits, contracted by the monastic system, 

 has been killing in the middle age. The Register 

 of Education shows, in one year, 120 deaths. Ex- 

 amine into the particular cases, and these will be found 

 the undoubted effects of sedentary habits. Look at 

 one name there. He had valuable gifts, perfected 



