Enervation
Enervation is a term made popular by Dr. John H. Tilden, author of the book, “Toxaemia”. Enervation is a condition of lowered energy; one brought about by the excessive use of our reserves of energy, a mere partial exhaustion of energy reserves may be recuperated fairly quickly if rest and sleep are secured. As we are all well aware, activity of any kind uses energy. Energy is recuperated during periods of rest and sleep. If stimulants are used instead of rest, recuperation is impaired and function may falter.
For the human body to maintain a state of good health certain circumstances and conditions are necessary and if a person is in good health it is assumed that those circumstances and conditions are provided. The body must be given light, heat, air, water, rest, sleep, food, exercise etc. Not only must these elements be provided they must be in the right amounts, proportions, qualities and combinations. Too much light is excessively stimulating and is thus enervating. The same maybe said of heat, similarly, not enough light detracts as does heat. Deficient polluted air is unhelpful either by oxygen deprivation or by poisoning. Food though admirably suitable may be taken in excess or deficient quantities may be taken at the wrong time or in poor combinations. Water may not be provided adequately and proper hydration not maintained. Exercise may be indulged to excess; rest may also be overdone.
The mental state may be over excited, over stimulated and lead to an excessive consumption of energy resulting in enervation. Excesses, any excess mental or physical may cause the dissipation of energy to a point where we become animated. When we have used up our immediate available energy we are fatigued and require rest and sleep to recuperate. If we do not allow this to take place, if we do not inhibit our energy expenditure, if we stimulate ourselves, the body will lose the power to function efficiently, we become enervated. Overwork, excessive worry, pleasure-seeking dissipations and the overindulgence in physical, emotional and mental activities will lead to enervation.
We may briefly discuss many areas of enervation. All the nerves of our special senses may be stimulated excessively, over stimulation of the eyes is a common aspect of modern life, bright lights, television, reading, especially in a poor light, exercises considerable strain on the visual apparatus. This should be compensated for by activities that relax the eyes that provide the gentle environment of country and peaceful scenery. We live in an age where there is much and constant noise. If we spend a lot of time in cities and busy streets where noise is accentuated, it is enervating. Noise stress on the nervous system is a constant threat in modern civilisation resulting in considerable wear and tear upon the brain and nervous system, in the sort term producing fatigue, in the long-term enervation. Noise while eating disturbs digestion; noise while resting prevents sleep. Too much conversation may be enervating, the worker in the city needs peace, quiet, relaxation and rest, the brief periods he or she has free from their work should be spent compensating for the enervating influence of the sensory excesses and stimulants. The early hygienist, Sylvester Graham, wrote in his book “The Science of Human Life”, “the grand experiment of the whole human family seems ever to have been to ascertain how far they can in indulgence, how near they can approach the brink of death and yet not die so suddenly and violently as to be compelled to know that they have destroyed themselves”.
We live in an age where stress is an accepted part of life, the effect on the nervous system of late hours, hurrying for appointments, the luxuries of modern city life, the noise and excitement of the mechanical, visual and auditory stimulation adversely affect digestion, nutrition, excretion and the general well being of the people. These influences persistently impair the powers of life, enervation through any emotional causes are among the most debilitating. An emotional shock has immediate and profound effects, the receipt of bad news can not only ruin your day but also can completely debilitate you. The whole of the body is under the controlling influence of the central nervous system and its functions are readily disturbed and impaired by mental and emotional states. Most people have experienced the influence on digestion and circulation of, the unexpected meeting of a friend, or enemy, or sudden news, at some time or another. This is often accompanied by a feeling of absolute physical weakness where the energy appears to run out of the body. The relatively aware person can identify the connection between the shock of bad news and the headache that follows. The discerning person can also trace the nausea and abdominal distress that occurs from the same cause. Shock temporarily disturbs the normal balance of the body’s function.
Today a great deal of stress is laid upon psychological factors and there are entire systems of rational care based upon mental influences. Everyone is aware that atrocity stories in war produce fear, but atrocity stories abound every day among people who discuss their symptoms, their illnesses, their surgeries, the drugs they are taking and the pathetically negative talk that surrounds their illnesses. Mental and emotional influence may be so great and may so profoundly affect the organism as to produce a sudden collapse with a marked drop in energy level. Every physical and mental impulse and stimulus registers within the nervous system – fear, worry, apprehension, hatred, malice, envy, jealous, selfishness, intrigue, dishonesty, theft, cruelty, malicious gossip, etc. are all enervating, they create disharmony and discord, they are not positive and health building influences.
The famous physiologist, Dr. Walter Canon wrote an epic work many years ago entitled, “Bodily changes in pain, hunger, fear and rage”. This investigator noted how the stomach virtually ceases to function under fear. One day during the course of his observations a dog barked close to the laboratory where he was working, it frightened the cat, the animal under observation, the cat’s intestines immediately became rigid and immobile, forcing Dr. Canon to discontinue his experiment for several hours. One may easily note the dryness of the mouth because of the suspended saliva secretion that occurs in fear.
Children are often made sick through overwrought emotions; many are made nervous through fear. The death or sickness of a parent, the overwhelming dissent of responsibility is a powerfully enervating influence on a young and developing child. Dr. John H. Tilden says, “True enlightenment is one of the most potent, remedial influences. An enlightenment that teaches man to believe in disease being inevitable is disease provoking. Fear is a child of ignorance. Intelligence banishes fear; hence intelligence is one of the greatest conservers of nerve energy”.
Domestic worries, marital infidelities, business concerns, professional anxieties, competitive antagonisms, political feuds, friendly rivalries, social aspirations, driving ambitions are only some of the influences that are enervating a large number of our people. They have a thousand and one things to stimulate, to enervate, to excite, to depress. All of these influences are powerfully enervating. The common evil is that of gossip, it is an antidote to poise. Dr. John H. Tilden says, “there are people who ruin their lives by rolling off their tongue in foul gossip sweet morsels.” Gossip ruins the health of those that indulge in it, destroys the poise of the friends of those gossiped about and heavily handicaps the subject of the gossip. Gossips often age rapidly and develop disease while keeping their mind always handicapped.
Lying, stealing, gambling, cheating and all forms of dishonour and dishonesty are enervating. Nervous tension associated with gambling, playing the stock market, running a business that is not honest or that keeps one dodging the law maintains a state of nervous and mental tension that consumes energy, disturbs secretion, check elimination and impairs function. The Bible says, “The wicked flee where no-one pursues”. Why? Fear – fear of one’s own knowledge, one’s own conscience, fear of discovery, fear of consequences. Fear is a potent, enervating influence.