264 BRAIN WORK BRAIN REST. 



of rest. If a nerve-cell is not kept active by the passage 

 of nerve impulses through it, it usually atrophies, and may 

 degenerate. 



Intense brain work, without sufficient sleep, is likely to 

 lead to sleeplessness, as when one has some subject of special 

 study in hand and either will not or cannot throw it off. 

 Perhaps inventors are as prone to this sort of trouble as any 

 one class of men. Keeping the blood continually in the 

 brain, or in any organ, is likely to lead to a permanent con- 

 gestion or inflammation that may cause serious, if not fatal, 

 results. It is stated that brain-workers need more sleep than 

 those who work chiefly with the muscles. Fatigue of the 

 voluntary muscles is much more a matter of nervous than of 

 muscular origin. When one is completely " tired out," as he 

 would say, if his mind can be aroused, as by some excite- 

 ment, he will be found able to expend a good deal more mus- 

 cular energy. So, too, many persons of slight muscular build, 

 but of great " will-power," are able to do more work with the 

 muscles than others with larger muscles and less will. 



But the brain-worker should not only be able to sleep 

 regularly and long enough, he ought to be able to throw off 

 his mind any subject, and take rest while he is awake. If 

 one allows himself to think about mental work while eating, 

 the process of digestion will not go on well. 



The student should acquire the power, and cultivate the 

 habit, of having, so far as possible, regular hours for work, 

 and of completely throwing aside his work and worry at 

 stated times. In seeking recreation it is well to choose 

 that which will necessitate giving the attention to something 

 entirely different from the daily work. For this reason chess 

 may be no real recreation for the student, while a game of 

 tennis, boxing, or other competitive exercise is likely to ac- 

 complish this very desirable object. A walk may put the 



