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I. The Neurasthenic during his Infancy 1

II. The Perversity of his Childhood 7

III. As a Shiftless and Purposeless Youth 16

IV. His Pursuit of an Education 20

V. Tries to Find an Occupation Conducive to Health 27

VI. New Symptoms and the Pursuit of Health 35

VII. The Neurasthenic Falls in Love 42

VIII. Morbid Fears and Fancies 50

IX. Germs and How he Avoided Them. Appendicitis 55

X. Dieting for Health's Sake 63

XI. Tells of a Few New Occupations and Ventures 71

XII. Tries a New Business; also Travels some for his Health 77

XIII. Tries a Retired Life; is also an Investigator of New
Thought, Christian Science, Hypnotic Suggestion 84

XIV. The Cultivation of a Few Vices and the Consequences 90

XV. Considers Politics and Religion. Consults Osteopathic
and Homeopathic Doctors 94

XVI. Takes a Course in a Medical College 101

XVII. Turns Cow-boy. Has Run the Gamut of Fads 108

XVIII. Gives up the Task of Writing Confessions 113

ILLUSTRATIONS.

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Nursing the baby 9

I was weaker than I really looked to be 11

My bump of continuity was poorly developed 21

I read up in the almanacs 29

Looking for new symptoms 33

Informed me I had psychasthenia anorexia 39

The wind was blowing a hurricane through my room 57

Good-night and good-bye 115

CHAPTER I.

THE NEURASTHENIC DURING HIS INFANCY.

The neurasthenic is born and not made to order, but it is only by
assiduous cultivation that he can hope to become a finished product. To
elucidate the fact presented by the latter half of the preceding sentence
is the purpose of this lit