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women, as they often spend much time in dressing the hair. Perhaps that 

 statement is on a level with that of the poet who spoke about "scratching 

 the head, thinking the thoughts would come," etc. 



Exercise may be an essential to a writer or sedentary thinker, as for 

 the man who writes all forenoon and puts in the afternoon walk- 

 ing, riding, rowing, gardening, etc. Here one would have to distinguish be- 

 tween properly working up ideas and getting new ones, between resting the 

 brain by a different occupation and getting new thoughts while so occu- 

 pied ; the new thoughts may perhaps come involuntarily while physically 

 employed. 



Baths of various kinds seem to be a stimulant to some persons. 



"Being in Harness" is an important factor, as in the case of the 

 business man who could not think, could not plan, while on a vacation, but 

 the moment he returned to his dingy office his mind became very active. 

 One man of affairs told me he would rather wear out than rust out, mean- 

 ing that although he felt better physically while away from his old occu- 

 pation his mind was dull ; he would rather not feel so well bodily than 

 to have ennui and boredom. 



Subconscious Mental Activity. 



Perhaps the most interesting phase of the whole subject is that of 

 so-called subconscious cerebration, with its various synonyms, such as 

 automatic cerebration, unconscious cerebration, etc. This form of mental 

 activity is to be clearly distinguished from conscious activity on the one 

 hand and from dreaming on the other; it is neither. Thus, while writing 

 these notes, an old patient to whom the question was put gave me a good 

 illustration. 



This woman is a clerk in a county treasurer's office (I am not nam- 

 ing the county). Ordinarily she does not dream, or so lightly that few 

 of the dreams are recalled the next morning. She has what may be con- 

 sidered good health, but at times does complain of some minor ills. Twice 

 a year she works under great stress, at taxpaying time, when from early 

 morning till late at night she is at the office, taking in money and receipt- 

 ing for it. After a day or two of this hard work she continues the work 

 at night, "in her mind," to the exclusion of sound or refreshing sleep — the 

 mind automatically and in spite of all her efforts to prevent going over and 



