everything else, craves to be able to do something
big in this world because he knows he should, yet is held down by this
dreadful thing, "nerves!" And how little, how unspeakably little, do
physicians, even the greatest of them, know, actually know, how we
suffer, unless indeed there be one in whose own body the fiend has sunk
deep its talons.

After I had my first breakdown I made up my mind to study medicine
because something told me that I was one of those "peculiar" people who
just _think_ there is something the matter with them. Is it not strange
that with all the advance that has been made in general medicine, little
or nothing has been done for the relief of the people born with this
curse hanging over them?

I wish this book could be put into the hands of every nervous parent
for, think as you may, all nervous parents beget nervous children. But
does it follow that such children should have a nervous breakdown almost
before they are out of their teens? No, decidedly not; and what is more,
they never should and never would break down, if they had proper food.

I look back with horror on the many nights of my childhood when I
suffered with "night terrors." And right here let me say: no child will
_ever have night terrors_ if he is given just what he should eat, and is
kept from overeating. And now a few words about the _first_ great point
concerning the prevention as well as the cure of "nerves."

Nervous people, and many others as well, eat too much. That, you say, is
nothing new. But that is just where the dreadful wrong begins; and why
there has been tragedy after tragedy, and why even while this is being
written there will be many more tragedies. You will hear lecturers
say--I myself have said it, and to large audiences: "You people eat too
much." But if that's all that is said, people straightway go away and
say: "Oh, yes, he's right, of course. We all eat too much." And there it
ends. Until recently people did not know--most of them don't know
yet--that each day they are actually bringing the grave nearer by
overeating.

Not long ago the great life insurance companies of this country held a
notable convention in the city of New York. Now after everything had
been said and done, after every phase of life insurance had been
discussed, what do you suppose was the great outstanding statement from
that remarkable body of men who know more about why people die than any
other body of people on earth? It was