HYGIENE OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 325 



life seem able to force upon the nervous system all the 

 exercise that it needs, and more (whether it be of the right 

 kind or not), so that the main problem of to-day seems to 

 be that of conserving, or economizing, the nervous energy 

 and of preventing nervous waste. 



Wasteful Forms of Nervous Activity. There are with- 

 out doubt many forms of activity that waste the vital forces 

 of the body and lead to nervous exhaustion. Take, for ex- 

 ample, the rather common habit of worrying over the trivial 

 things of life. Certainly the nervous energy spent in this 

 way cannot be used in doing useful work, but must be 

 counted as so much loss to the body. One who would use 

 his nervous system to the best advantage must find some 

 way of preventing waste of this kind. 1 



Undue excitement, as well as pleasurable dissipations, 

 also tend toward nervous exhaustion. And while the fact 

 is recognized that pleasurable activities supply a necessary 

 mental exercise, the limit of healthful endurance must be 

 watched and excesses of all kinds avoided. Intense 

 emotional states are found to be exhausting in the extreme ; 

 and the suppression of such undesirable feelings as anger, 

 fear, jealousy, and resentment are of immense value in the 

 hygiene of the nervous system. 



The Habit of Self-control. Much of the needless waste 

 of nervous energy, including that of worrying over trivial 

 matters, may be prevented through the exercise of self- 

 control. From the standpoint of the nervous system, the 

 present age differs from the past mainly in supplying a 



1 Where a deep-seated cause for worry exists, there may be occasion for grave 

 concern. Many people have become insane through continued worry about some 

 one thing. In cases of this kind the sufferer needs the aid of sympathetic friends, 

 and sometimes of the physician, in getting the mind away from the exciting cause. 

 A change of scene, a visit, or some new employment is frequently recommended, 

 where the actual cause for the worry cannot be removed. 



