372 PHYSIOLOGY AND HEALTH. 



labor, its excitement does not subside readily with the cessa- 

 tion of work. It is then useless to attempt to sleep. The 

 nervous energies, thus stimulated, must have some vent, 

 either by light reading, conversation, or some gentle mus- 

 cular exercise. An eminent lawyer in Massachusetts, who 

 was employed, during the sessions of the court, in an almost 

 continuous succession of cases, and whose brain was excited 

 to unremitting labor from morning till late at night during 

 this period, found it impossible to sleep immediately after 

 his labors ceased, although he was much fatigued. He 

 therefore accustomed himself to walk for some time, after 

 leaving the court-room and before going to his chamber. 

 With this preparation, he slept comfortably, and awoke on 

 the following morning refreshed and prepared for renewed 

 labor. 



863. It would be well so to arrange our business and 

 studies, that the brain ^hould be required to work and ex- 

 pend no more energy in each day than it can recover at 

 night. In this way, it would be able to perform as much on 

 the day following, and on each successive day thereafter, and 

 need no long periods of rest throughout the whole of life. 

 But this is not usually done. Our business, our schools, 

 and colleges, are arranged upon the erroneous plan of doing 

 more than a day's mental work in each day during the busy 

 season or term time, and of-having intervals of rest in vaca- 

 tions. This arrangement of mental action and rest is ordi- 

 narily made, not in reference to health and power of the 

 mind to labor, but to convenience, or pleasure. Some col- 

 leges and schools have long terms and long vacations, to 

 allow the pupils to visit their distant homes. The mind be- 

 comes weary, and works languidly, in the latter weeks of 

 these long terms, and the habits of study are broken up in 

 the long vacations; and neither is so advantageous for 

 mental action and health as short and more frequent periods 

 of labor and rest. 



