For interest in the world is the great source of energy and the great marshaler of energy.  From the child bored by lack of playmates, who brightens up at the sight of a woolly little dog, to the old and vigorous man who makes the mistake of resigning from work, this function of interest can be shown.

She was advised to get a fundamental, nonegoistic purpose, one that would rally both her emotions and her intelligence into service.  Finally she was told bluntly that on these steps depended her health and that from now on any breakdown would be merely a confession of failure in reasonableness and purpose.

That she improved greatly and came back to her normal health I know.  Whether she continued to remain well and how far she followed the advice given I cannot say.  From the earliest time to this, necessity has been the main spur to purpose, and probably the lure of social competition drew the lady back to her old life.  Experience, though the best teacher, seems to have the same need of repetition that all teaching does.

Case III.  The physically sick woman who displays nervousness.

Though this is one of the most important of the types of nervous housewife the subject is essentially medical.  We shall therefore not detail any case, but it is wise to reemphasize some facts.

There are bodily diseases of which the early and predominant symptoms are classed as “nervousness.”  Hyperthyroidism, or Graves’ Disease, a condition in which there is overactivity of the thyroid gland and which is particularly prevalent among young women, is one of those diseases.  In this condition excitability, irritability, emotional outbursts, fatigue, restlessness, digestive disorders, vasomotor disorders, appear before the characteristic symptoms do.

Neuro-syphilis is another such disease.  This is an involvement of the nervous system by syphilis.  One of the tragedies that distresses even hardened doctors is to find some fine woman who has acquired neuro-syphilis through her husband, though he himself may remain well.  In the early stages this disease not only has neurasthenic symptoms but is very responsive to treatment, and thus the early diagnosis is of great importance.

What is known as reflex nervousness arises as a result of minor local conditions, such as astigmatism and other eye conditions, trouble with the nose and throat and trouble with the organs of generation.  The latter is especially important in any consideration of nervousness in the housewife, particularly in the woman who has borne children.  Frequently too the existence of hemorrhoids, resulting from constipation, acts to increase the irritability of a woman who is perhaps too modest to consult a physician regarding such trouble.  Where such modesty exists (and it is found in the very women one would be apt to think were the very last to be swayed by it), then a competent woman physician should be consulted.  With good women physicians and surgeons in every large community there is no reason for reluctance to be examined on the part of any woman.