Nervous Exhaustion in Women.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIII, Issue XVIII, 29 October 1904, Page 62

Nervous Exhaustion in Women.

(By C. Stanford Read.) To properly understand about nervous exhaustion, it would be well to know’ something about the nervous system and its general functions, but in the short space of this article it will be possible only to speak generally.

In nervous exhaustion there is a lowering of the working-power or vitality of the nervous system, so that not only is its special work imperfectly done, but serious bodily derangement arises. What are the causes of this? They are in general, over-work of the brain, as in prolonged mental effort; neglect of recreation or change of employment; curtailment of sleep; the giving of undue prominence to the worries of life; in one word, over-work of the thinking powers while the other parts of the nervous system and body had not their fair share of duty. In ordinary natures, the effects of undue strain of nervous system are as follows: —First, we have headache and disinclination to work; the work is forced and loses its spontaneous character. Then follows distaste for food, indigestion, loss of sleep, pallor from want of good blood, sickness on exertion, all ending in an amount of prostration varying in each individual case. Thus in many it is simply a feeble condition of health, in others we get hysteria; and in a third complete prostration and inability to perform any active duty. How can we explain this chain of disturbances? Undoubtedly, it begins with over-work of the nervous system. This lowers the vitality of the tissues, and especially affects the tone of the blood-vessels. During sleep the brain has less blood in its vessels, this

being brought about by the action of certain nerves which diminish the capacity of the small bloodvessels. These, however, are overtired, and therefore we get the brain, excited by fullness of blood, driving off “Nature’s sweet restorer.’’ The sickness is to be accounted for in much the same way. Headache and neuralgia are early and prominent symptoms of nervous exhaustion, and give timely warning of mischief, bidding the sufferer beware. The evil may be more rapid and serious than what I have already described, and no one has pictured it with more medical accuracy and literary beauty than R. L. Stevenson. Now what are the special periods in a woman’s life at which the liability to nerve exhaustion is present. These are practically found in the school-girl and adult woman. In older women there is less tendency to this, as the body degeneration of old age gives lack of power for this evil. If a sehool-girl has many hours school confinement, walks sedately home, eats her food with diminished appetite, and then begins home preparation without proper recreation, she is certain to get deteriorated in blood, muscle and brain. Undue prolonged strain of the brain and neglect of the body is the great fault that the education of girls must endeavour to steer dear of. Giris, indeed, require to be specially protected against over-pressure. They work as a rule more eagerly than boys; suffer more from nervous strain; and having loss outlet for physical exercise, are correspondingly more confirmed in nervous tendencies.

Taking the ease of the adult woman, you will easily grasp how the same evil of nerVe exhaustion may arise. Very often it is started by the selfsacrifice involved in nursing a sick relative. Given the acquired and almost inevitable selfishness of the chronic invalid, one can easily note how the devoted nurse, whether sister or mother, with the high sense of duty so often found in highly-strung women, speedily suffers, and may soon take the place of her patient. Or again, it may arise from educational over-pressure or over-brain work in some shape or form. There is no doubt that women in shops not only have long hours and continued strain, but in many cases are denied the simple matter of a seat during work. They are often, indeed, too tried for recreation after their work. The same holds good as to domestic servants. Much of the want of harmony between mistress and maid is due to the lowered nervous tone which must

come on in women who have the long hours and little recreation of a servant.

Let us now turn to the question of treatment. Here we must keep in mind the great fact that while nerve-tissue takes long to break down, it takes longer to repair. Every woman should have work to do, but should work within her strength as much as one lives within one’s income. Recreation must be attended to, and the brain-worker will give rest to the tired brain best by physical exercise. The importance of out-door exercise to women cannot be over-estimated. What if the mischief has gone on to the production of headache, sleeplessness, loss of power of concentration, and the other symptoms already given? Here, there is nothing for it but to limit the amount of work, increase the amount of food and physical exercise, and, if possible, take change of air and scene. This is what is often so difficult to get these sufferers to do; and we find them anxious to try the effects of stimulants and sedatives. Nothing can be worse than these.

In those extreme cases when the woman is prostrated by the exhaustion and has become utterly unfit for further healthy work, a systematic course of rest, over-feeding, and massage often works marvels. In conclusion, one must urge on you all the importance of work, but one must add that work by women, in the majority of eases, must be wisely done; that change of occupation and recreation must be considered not only as a pleasure but a duty. The eultiva tion of the mind of women must not be at the expense of the body. Hand in hand with mental culture must bodily culture go, if disaster is to be avoided.