CHAPTER I Nervous Diseases Nervous Debility-How to Cure Sleeplessness-Collapse-Treatment of Neuralgia and Rheumatism-Neuralgia-Remedies for Convulsions-Epilepsy-Unconsciousness-Apoplexy-De lirium Tremens. NERVOUS EXHAUSTION; NERVOUS DEBILITY (Neurasthenia).—Nervous exhaustion is by far the most frequent of the nervous diseases, especially in the United States, on which account it has been called the American Disease. The condition was first described and named by Beard of New York in 1879. He defined it as a state in which there is a deficiency of nerve force, shown by undue sensitiveness (and reaction) to external impressions. Mental impressions are greatly exaggerated. What would be but a molehill to the robust, becomes magnified so that it appears as a mountain; a nervous strain, borne without trouble by the strong, results in nervous collapse; slight muscular effort occasions fatigue out of all proportion to the cause. Causes. No case is found, as a rule, to be due to any one cause. Usually several causes are conjoined. Heredity plays an important part. Weakness and instability of the nervous apparatus, what is called a |