Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 82.djvu/61

Rh operating table, or more frequently during the period of recovery from anesthesia, or, in fact, at any time later, the sensitive mind may thus receive impressions which may persist permanently and prove to be sources of painful invaliding beyond all expectation. In fact, it is beyond question true that the real importance of psychical insult as a close fellow of physical injury, or the danger from the stresses and other conditions following, should in every case receive a much more thoughtful consideration from all those who have to do with it, than ever has been or is now the rule. We blame and punish those who do not provide against the consequences of the physical injury itself, or against the invasion and development of endangering infectious diseases. But often these, bad as they are, are of little consequence, compared with the results of inadequate or bungling care of the psychical insults, and subsequent untoward impressions and tensions, which so often accompany or follow physical conditions, whether accidental or designed. Certainly, it were better to have a pitted face or a crooked leg than to go through the remainder of life with irrecoverable mental imperfections and distresses. Better a weak back than a weak will; the loss of a member than the loss of normal ambition and hope; better physical pain with the mind free than mental pain with the body useless because of it!

Everything that may be said about prevening the anticipation and prevention of mental invalidism in conditions that are naturally but incidental to physical trauma, may be said, also, and with even greater emphasis, with respect to its connection with the beginning or course of a large number of cases of ordinary illness, including, as these usually do, noticeable weakness, certain depressing autointoxications, incidental effects of use or abuse of various drugs, and more or less prolonged and nearly absolute isolation—favoring conditions that are almost always more or less necessarily experienced. Here the laity, especially if not checked, are liable as a rule to as unhesitatingly as unwittingly convert any sick-room into a fateful "gossip-room" of such a horrifying and dangerous character, that even a well person may wisely shun it for safety if not from choice; while those in authoritative command likewise seem somewhat too frequently not to realize with anything like becoming fullness the deep and abiding injury which inexcusable thoughtlessness, as well as all manner of unwholesome speech and conduct, may so frequently lead to. More than once has life-long soul-sickness been traced to this kind of impression received during an illness, wherein the hapless victim was made to receive impressions of such a deeply searching and staying character, that forever after dire consequences have remained, to either primarily or secondarily afflict with untold and irrecoverable mental pain. Undoubtedly, it not infrequently happens, also, that certain chance speculative