TREATMENT OF NERVOUS DISORDERS 187 



dition due to impairment of metabolism in the nervous 

 system, usually directly traceable to over-fatigue, pro- 

 tracted over-work, or continuous worry. It is character- 

 ized by bodily restlessness, by inability to obtain 

 refreshment in sleep, and by undue attention to self. 

 Neurasthenics usually think about themselves and their 

 bodily condition to the exclusion of more interesting and 

 more important topics. 



Direct Treatment of Nervous Disorders. — Inas- 

 much as the physiological basis of nervous disorders lies 

 in disturbed metabolism of nerve-cells, the logical method 

 of treatment is obviously to take such measures as will 

 remove the cause of disturbance. From what has been 

 said in previous chapters it will be clear to the student 

 that this is a very difficult matter, owing to our imperfect 

 knowledge of the normal functioning of the cells of the 

 central nervous system. But wherever the disturbing 

 cause can be found and removed, recovery occurs. We 

 may, therefore, confidently expect that with advancing 

 knowledge of the nervous system will come the discovery 

 of procedures appropriate to the treatment of diseases of 

 this type. 



Treatment of Nervous Disorders by Psychother- 

 apy. — In hysteria, and to a slightly less extent in neu- 

 rasthenia, both the intellectual and emotional states of the 

 patient are abnormal, chiefly in the direction of the exag- 

 geration of ideas or emotional manifestations, which in 

 their proper perspective are harmless enough, but when 

 dominant are both undesirable and unwholesome. Asso- 

 ciated memories are established as has been emphasized 

 previously, in the central nervous systems as a result of 

 the inpouring of sensory stimuli through the organs of 

 sense. It follows, therefpre, that they may be in part 

 controlled by controlling the sensory stimuli to which the 

 patient is subjected. 



The trained physician understands this fully, and while 

 seeking the real underlying cause of disturbed nerve-cell 



