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know of a college student whose thoughts were most active while "listen- 

 ing to a sermon." Such stimulation is known to but few, while the op- 

 posite, drowsiness, is known to nearly everybody. Perhaps the "constitu- 

 tion" has something to do with it. I have notes on a preacher who gets 

 his ideas for his next sermon a week ahead. If he fails to get them on 

 Sunday night, he probably gets them at the time of the midweek prayer 

 meeting. Local option meetings also seem to excite some — is it the en- 

 thusiasm? 



Storms. Among my case reports are some of individuals whose 

 minds were set agoing during the prevalence of a storm ; if at night, there 

 was much restlessness and sleeplessness with a rush of thoughts. An in- 

 quiry into details often leads to curious results. 



Weather Changes should also be mentioned. The state of the 

 weather is by many supposed to have an influence. I should especially 

 like to hear from those who have made any observations along this line. 



Books. Books, as a source of thought stimulation or of inspiration, 

 are generally classified as good or bad, ancient or modern, new or old. 

 To the average reader a book is simply a book, but those who utilize 

 their thoughts or bright ideas may be able to make distinctions. Read- 

 ing between the lines, an individual with a vivid imagination may get 

 all sorts of new ideas, he may get more out of them than the author 

 put in. 



Lectures differ greatly in their stimulating influence. To some an 

 occasional lecture may be helpful, while repeated lectures may fail to 

 stimulate, or one may say there is overstimulation and the mind fails 

 to retain the impressions. We all know how the lectures of instructors 

 vary ; some stimulate the students, others do not. 



Barber-Shop Influences. One of my old patients, who lived at home 

 all the time, went once a week to the barber shop, and then complained 

 of insomnia with much dreaming at night. (But to make the story more 

 complete It should be added that he was a chronic consumptive and that 

 much coughing accompanied the insomnia and dreaming — some might re- 

 gard this as a relationship of cause and effect.) 



I recall a statement in a French reader, "Nothing refreshes the mind 

 like having the hair dressed." A man is supposed to have made the re- 

 mark — I mention this here as a possible factor in mental stimulation in 



