*Effect of Emotional States.*—We have already noted the effect of certain emotional states upon the digestion of the food (page 162). Emotional states are also known to interfere with breathing and with the action of the heart. Such effects are explained through the close relation of the mind to the work of the nervous system in general. While certain emotional states, such as fear, anger, melancholia, and the impulse to worry, interfere seriously with the normal action of the nervous system, others, such as contentment, cheerfulness, and joy, are decidedly beneficial in their effects. How important, then, is the habit of suppressing the states that are harmful and of cultivating those that are beneficial. From a hygienic, as well as social, standpoint a cheerful, happy disposition is worth all the effort necessary for its attainment. *The Nervous Condition of Children* should be a matter of deep concern on the part of both parents and teachers. In the home, as well as in the school, the child may be "pushed" until the nervous system receives permanent injury. Exhaustion of nerve cells is produced through too many and too vivid impressions being made upon the immature brain. The child should be protected from undue excitement. He should have the benefit of outdoor exercise and should be early inured to cold. He should be shielded from the poisoning effects of tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. He should have impressed upon him the habit of self-control. He should not be indulged in foolish caprices or whims, but should be taught to be content with plain, wholesome food and with the simple forms of enjoyment. *Influences at School.*—School life is necessarily a great strain upon the child. Night study added to the work of the day makes a heavy burden for elementary pupils to bear. Though the legal school age is usually fixed at six years, delicate children should be kept out of school until they are seven or eight years old, provided they have good homes. In addition to the excitation incident to studying and reciting lessons, conditions frequently arise both in the schoolroom and upon the playground that create a feeling of fear or dread in the minds of children. Quarrels and feuds among the children and the bullying of big boys on the playground may work untold harm. All conditions tending to develop fear, uneasiness, or undue excitement on the part of children should receive the attention of those in authority.