BRAIN-REST. 211 



continued labor as it would have remained, had it been 

 used wisely. 



Apart from mental symptoms, as sleeplessness, con- 

 fusion of thought, low spirits, loss of memory, and inca- 

 pacity for prolonged steady thought, an overtaxed brain 

 acts on the whole body and injures it. The digestion 

 especially is impaired, and this of course brings in its 

 train many evils, due to ill-nourishment of various organs 

 (see pp. 123-4). The feeling of lassitude and exhaustion 

 causes a longing for stimulants, which give temporary 

 relief, and many a man has thus become a drunkard. 



10. Brain-Rest Obtained by Change of Employment. 

 There is an old saying that "change of employment is as 

 good as rest;" properly understood it is a very true one. 

 The change, however, must be thorough. It is not of 

 much use for a business-man to go, in search of rest, 

 from New York to Saratoga and there continue his busi- 

 ness by correspondence; nor for a child to change from 

 studying history to arithmetic. Unless the change is 

 accompanied by a sense of recreation and pleasure, it is 

 of little or no value as affording brain-rest. Doing noth- 

 ing is often wearisome to persons who have never formed 

 habits of idleness; when the minds of such need rest, 

 they should seek some occupation calling for little exer- 

 cise of the faculties employed in their regular daily 

 work, and which yet interests and amuses them. 



11. Concentrating One's Thoughts. One of the hardest 

 things a child has to learn, is to " fix its attention," or 



10. What is necessary that change of employment may rest the 

 mind? Illustrate. What should accompany the change? What 

 should those seek who soon weary of doing nothing and yet need 

 brain-rest? 



1 1 . What is said of fixing the attention ? Illustrate. How may the 

 power be acquired ? Why should the training be gradual ? 



