Increasing nervousness is the most serious problem confronting the medical world today. At the Mayo Clinic, nervous exhaustion is reported to be an almost universal complaint, and about 70 percent of the disorders of digestion treated there are designated as "nervous indigestion." A recent meeting of medical educators in the East emphasized the need of training more men to take care of the rising tide of nervous diseases. And the January issue of a widely read magazine for women, under the heading, "Mental Nurses Needed," states that "the demand for mental nurses far exceeds the supply."
What is the meaning of this condition with which we find ourselves confronted? Long ago our attention was called to the fact that "intensity is taking hold of the human family. It is permeating everything' upon the earth."—"Testimonies to Ministers," p. 116. Again, in "Education," page 260, we read: "An intensity such as never before was seen is taking possession of the world." In the light of prophetic revelation we know that we cannot look for improvement in world conditions; therefore, if we are to preserve health, we must so adjust our program as to conserve our nervous energy.
How wonderful that the Spirit of prophecy, foreseeing these conditions, has led our people to give up stimulating foods, such as tea, coffee, and meat, and use in their place the toxin-free fruits, vegetables, cereals, etc., which lay so much lighter burden on the nervous system and the eliminative organs, and at the same time greatly increase physical endurance.
The matter of recreation, almost as important as that of diet, is often overlooked by our busy and often overburdened ministers. In the book "Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene," page 82, we are told that "the health cannot be preserved unless some portion of each day is given to muscular exertion in the open air."
Never was a scientific truth of greater importance stated in fewer words. When we reflect that one hundred brain workers break down from "nerves" to every farmer, it helps us to realize the force of this statement.
A Practical Question
Recognizing the condition, the question naturally arises, What can a busy minister do to preserve his health? How can he secure recreation which includes exercise? The world has provided a variety of sports to fill this need. In fact, the length to which the craze for sports has been carried constitutes in itself a sign of the times. We hesitate to recommend such activities, which are often indulged in to such an excess as to injure both body and mind, and against which the Spirit of prophecy has raised a note of warning.
In Volume III of the "Testimonies," page 78, a very simple and practical bit of counsel is given: "There is no exercise that can take the place of walking. By it the circulation of the blood is greatly improved." This matter of equalizing the circulation of the blood is a vital factor in conserving the health of brain workers, where the tendency is to crowd the brain with blood at the expense of the extremities.
If pressed for time, a minister may take notes with him to study while walking, or a paper may be scanned. Working at wood chopping or in the garden is excellent exercise, but not always possible; whereas one may always walk, though the auto is fast making this a lost art in America. The Englishman still walks, and with great physical benefit. Coolidge, our only living ex-President, has the habit of taking a daily walk.
A Few Suggestions
1. Sleep eight or nine hours every night. If too nervous to sleep, take a daily walk of four or five miles, followed by a neutral bath for about a half hour before retiring.
2. Walk twenty miles a week, dividing the distance by days. Whatever you do, walk!
3. Take a cold bath on rising, and a few setting-up exercises to bring into play the seldom-used trunk muscles. Take two hot baths a week, preferably before retiring in order to avoid colds.
4. Avoid white flour products, with sugar, meat, tea, and coffee (it seems superfluous to mention these). Use fruit, green vegetables, potatoes, nuts, milk, and entire cereals, masticating them thoroughly. Avoid hearty and late suppers, eating the heavy meal near the middle of the day or in the late afternoon. If a third meal is taken, it should be very light. As to quantity, it is a good rule always to leave the table feeling that you would enjoy eating more.
5. Secure free bowel action daily by mechanical rather than chemical means.
Rest Essential
On one occasion, after a strenuous evangelistic season, Christ led His disciples away from the throngs into a quiet desert place. In seeking this complete change of environment He showed divine wisdom, and His example can be profitably followed today. A worn-out minister is in danger of preaching worn-out sermons. A rested mind and a vigorous body will, under the blessing of God, enable the minister to preach soul-winning sermons that will move the hearts of his hearers. A spring constantly bent loses its elasticity, and a mind constantly taxed with one line of thought fails ultimately to do its best work. For this reason a period of changed thought, with the relaxation that comes from the pursuit of some favorite and innocent pastime, is often one helpful means of preparation for the work of the pulpit.
Washington., D. C.
