The Rural Magazine, and Literary Evening Fire-Side, Vol. 1 No. 05 (1820)Various
Philosophy
The Rural Magazine, and Literary Evening Fire-Side, Vol. 1 No. 05 (1820)
Various
Agriculture; Agriculture -- Periodicals
_Comfortable Discovery._--"Laugh and grow fat" was the grand ancient
specific for long life--"every sigh and groan drove a nail into
our coffins," whilst a contrary excitation of the risible organs
drew one out.--Truly every generation groweth wiser, and we may
live to witness ocular proofs that pain is merely an alleviator of
indigestion, and the repudiation of a limb, under the doctor's saw,
a pleasant and exhilarating morning exercise; in short, what may we
not expect after reading the following:
A French surgeon has published a long dissertation on the beneficial
influence of groaning and crying on the nervous system. He contends
that groaning and crying are the two grand operations by which
nature allays anguish; and that he has uniformly observed, that
those patients who give way to their natural feelings, more speedily
recover from accidents and operations, than those who suppose that
it is unworthy a man to betray such symptoms of cowardice as either
to groan or to cry. He is always pleased by the crying and violent
roaring of a patient during the time he is undergoing a surgical
operation, because he is satisfied that he will thereby so sooth
his nervous system, as to prevent fever and ensure a favourable
termination.--From the benefit hysterical and other nervous patients
derive from crying or groaning, he supposes that "by these
processes of nature," the superabundant nervous power is exhausted,
and that the system is in consequence rendered calm, and even the
circulation of the blood diminished. He relates a case of a man,
who, by means of crying and bawling, reduced his pulse from 120
to 60 in the course of two hours. That some patients often have a
great satisfaction in groaning, and that hysterical patients often
experience great relief from crying, are facts which no person will
deny.
As to the restless hypochondriacal subjects, or those who are never
happy but when they are under some course of medical or dietetic
treatment, the French surgeon assures them that they cannot do
better than groan all night and cry all day. By following this rule,
and observing an abstemious diet, a person will effectually escape
disease, and may prolong life to an incredible extent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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