236 PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG 



never works miracles to obviate the results of volun- 

 tary sin. 



Nervous Irritability,— One of the results of the 

 fast life led by the majority of persons in civilized 

 countries is the production of what has been denomi- 

 nated the neurotic temperament, a condition in which 

 the nervous system is unduly active and excitable. This 

 condition is always accompanied by a deficiency of 

 nerve tone. This means that the nerve centers which 

 control the various functions of the body are more ex- 

 citable and less under control of the will and other domi- 

 nating and governing centers than in health. The con- 

 sequence of this condition is a tendency to irregularity 

 in the activity of the various vital functions, especially 

 an exaggeration of the activity of those functions which 

 are particularly called out by the emotions and pro- 

 pensities. This depraved condition of the body con- 

 stitutes a physical bias in the direction of vice and 

 crime of all sorts. All the violent passions, such as 

 irritability of temper and sensuality, are more readily 

 excited to activity, and when in action, are more intense 

 than in a healthy individual. This lowered nerve tone 

 is also accompanied by a lowered mental tone, and a 

 corresponding lowering of moral tone ; so that while the 

 propensities are unnaturally strong, the will by which 

 they should be controlled is unusually weak. This 

 state of things renders the individual an easy prey to 

 vice, and particularly to that most overmasting of all 

 the passions, sensuality. From this same morbid con- 

 dition comes a growing tendency to the drink habit, 

 and the ready acquirement of the use of tobacco and 

 other narcotics, which in turn steadily increase the 

 morbid condition referred to, and thus accelerate the 

 tendency in the direction of sensuality and vice. 



