HOW TO KEEP THE BRAIN AND NERVES HEALTHY.
~1. Uses of the Brain.~--What do you think a boy or girl would be good
for without any brain or nerves? Such a boy or girl could not see, hear,
feel, talk, run about, or play, and would not know any more than a
cabbage or a potato knows. If the brain or nerves are sick, they cannot
work well, and so are not worth as much as when they are healthy.
~2. The Brain Sympathizes with Other Organs.~--Did you ever have a
headache? Did you feel happy and good-natured when your head ached hard,
and could you study and play as well as when you are well? It is very
important that we should keep our brain and nerves healthy, and to do
this we must take good care of the stomach and all other organs, because
the brain sympathizes with them when they are sick.
~3. We must have Pure Air.~--How do you feel when the school-room is too
warm and close? Do you not feel dull and sleepy and so stupid that you
can hardly study? This is because the brain needs good, pure blood to
enable it to work well. So we must always be careful to have plenty of
pure air to breathe.
~4. We should Exercise the Brain.~--What do we do when we want to
strengthen our muscles? We make them work hard every day, do we not? The
exercise makes them grow large and strong. It is just the same with our
brains. If we study hard and learn our lessons well, then our brains
grow strong, and study becomes easy. But if we only half study, and do
not learn our lessons perfectly, then the study does not do our brains
very much good.
~5. We should Take Muscular Exercise.~--When you get tired of study, an
hour's play, or exercise of some sort, rests you and makes you feel
brighter, so that you can learn more easily. This is because exercise is
necessary to make the blood circulate well. It will then carry out the
worn-out particles and supply the brain and nerves with fresh, pure
blood. So the same exercise which makes our muscles strong makes our
brains healthier also.
~6. We should be Careful of our Diet.~--We ought to eat plenty of good,
simple food, such as milk, fruits, grains, and vegetables. It is not
well for children to eat freely of meat, as it is very stimulating and
likely to excite the brain and make the nerves irritable. Mustard,
pepper, and all hot sauces and spices have a tendency to injure the
brain and nerves.
~7. We should Allow the Brain to Rest at the Proper Time.~--When we are
tired and sleepy we cannot think well, and cannot remember what we learn
if we try to study. If we have plenty of sleep, free from bad or
exciting dreams, we awake in the morning rested and refreshed, because
while we have been asleep Nature has put the brain and nerves in good
repair for us. We ought not to stay up late at night. We should not eat
late or hearty suppers, as this will prevent our sleeping well.
~8. We Ought Not to Allow Ourselves to Become Angry.~--When a person
flies into a passion he does his brain and nerves great harm. It is
really dangerous to get angry. Persons have dropped dead instantly in a
fit of anger.
~9. We should Shun Bad Habits.~--Bad habits are very hard to give up,
and hence we should be careful to avoid them. When a child learns to
swear, or to use slang phrases, the brain after a while will make him
swear or use bad words before he thinks. In a similar manner other bad
habits are acquired.
SUMMARY.
1. A person without a brain or nerves would be of no more account than a
vegetable.
2. When the brain or nerves are sick they cannot perform their duties
properly.
3. To keep the brain and nerves in good health, we must take good care
of the stomach and all other important organs of the body.
4. There are many things which we may do to keep the brain and nerves
strong and well.
5. The brain needs pure blood, and so we must be careful to breathe pure
air.
6. The brain gets strength by exercise, just as the muscles do. Hence,
study is healthful, and makes the brain strong.
7. A good memory is very necessary, but we should not try to remember
everything.
8. It is very important that we learn how to observe things closely.
9. Exercise in the open air rests and clears the brain by helping the
blood to circulate.
10. Plenty of wholesome and simple food is necessary to keep the brain
and nerves in good health. Spices, condiments, and rich foods in general
are stimulating and harmful.
11. Plenty of sleep is needed to rest the brain and nerves.
12. It is dangerous as well as wicked to become very angry.
13. We should be careful to avoid forming bad habits of any sort, as
they are hard to break, and often adhere to one through life.