HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2499, 5 February 1902, Page 64

HEALTH COLUMN.

Nervousness.

What may be called a minor degree of neurasthenia is the indefinite condition called "nervousness. ' Sufferers from it are not incapacitated for business or social duties, nor are they seriously ill, like the confirmed neurasthenic, yet their existence is often a pitiable one. They are restless, and unable to fix the mind on any subject, s!eep is disturbed, and often there is an indefinable flutterjne sensation within the chest. They may nave a good appetite and not feel ill physically. And herein lies their greatest danger, for they persuade themselves that all they need is a nerve tonic of some sort, or a little stimulant, and they dose themselves with various advertised remedies, one after another, or begin to drink a little wine or spirits. The stimulation makes them feel better for a time, but the inevitable reaction comes, when they feel worse than before, and run again and again to the bottle of "tonic," or drink until they become confirmed drug-takers or dram-drinkers — and which is worse it would be hard to say. The fatal mistake winch these persons make is in assuming that they are not ill physically, but only "nervous." In almost every such case a careful examination by a physician will bring to light disorder of some organ, and show that the patient is physically ill, and should be treated accordingly. It is not nerve tonics or stimulants that he needs, but a course of medical treatment — dietetic, hygienic, and perhaps medicinal.

In the majority of cases it will be found that the digestion is at fault. There may be no evident symptoms of dyspepsia — no nausea, distress after eating, or eructations — ve t the food may be scarcely digested at all. The stomach does it<* work, perhaps, in the preliminarj- digestion of the food, but the intestines, where the assimilation of nutriment is, or should be, effected, are at fault.

The food is not elaborated into such shape that it can be takeu up by the lacteal vessels* and carried to the nerve and other '•tructures that need constant- renewing, and so the tissues suffer from partial starvation.

Furthermore, the imperfect intestinal digestion lesults in .'lie manufacture of valious poison.-, which are absorbed and cause .■ morbid condition of the ncrvon* system.

Treatment should be directed to the intestinal troub'e, and not to the "neivoti.e-ne-s," which will speedily dioappear when onct the casual condition hab been cured.