Epilepsy, Hysteria, and Neurasthenia: Their Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment — John Shaqi
Epilepsy, Hysteria, and Neurasthenia: Their Causes, Symptoms, & TreatmentBriggs, Isaac George
Science
Epilepsy, Hysteria, and Neurasthenia: Their Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment
Briggs, Isaac George
Epilepsy; Hysteria; Nervous system -- Diseases; Neurasthenia
The cold bath must not be made a fetish. If the glow is not felt, give it
up, and bathe in tepid (85-92 deg. F.) or warm (93-98 deg. F.) water. When started
in the vigour of youth, the cold bath may often be continued through life,
but it is unwise to commence in middle life. Parents should never force
their children to take cold baths, to "harden them".
Other Hygienic Points. Tobacco is undesirable for neuropaths, save in
moderation.
Clothes should be light, loose, and warm. Epileptics should wear low, stiff
collars, half a size too large, with clip ties. Such a combination does not
form a tight band round the neck, and can quickly be removed if necessary.
Wear thick, woollen socks, and square-toed, low-heeled, double-soled boots.
Hats should be large, light, and of soft material. Woollen underwear is
best. Change as often as possible, and aim at health, not appearance.
Let all rooms be well lighted, well ventilated, moderately heated, and
sparsely furnished with necessities. Shun draperies, have no window boxes,
cut climbing plants ruthlessly away from the windows, and never obstruct
chimneys.
Buy Muller's "My System", which gives a course of physical exercises
without apparatus, which only take fifteen minutes a day. The patient must
conscientiously perform the exercises each morning, not for a week, nor for
a month, but for an indefinite period, or throughout life.
Finally, remember that so few die a natural death from senile decay because
so few live a natural life.
* * * * *
CHAPTER XVI
SLEEPLESSNESS
"O magic sleep! O comfortable bird
That broodest o'er the troubled sea of the mind
Till it is hushed and smooth."
--Keats.
Some men need only a few hours' sleep, but no one ever overslept himself in
natural slumber. There are anecdotes of great men taking little sleep, but
their power usually consisted in going without sleep for some days when
necessary, and making up for it in one long, deep sleep. Neuropaths require
from 10-13 hours to prepare the brain for the stress of the next day, but
quality is more important than quantity.
Patients go to bed tired, but cannot sleep; fall asleep, and wake every
other hour the night through; sleep till the small hours, and then wake, to
get no more rest that night; only fall asleep when they should be rising;
or have their slumber disturbed by nightmare, terrifying dreams, heart
palpitation, and so on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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