p. 63 | A Poor Memory

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Feb 21, 1878

A Poor Memory.

There are various reasons why some persons have a poor memory.

First, they may have over-worked their brain, and exhausted the energies of the nervous system. A majority of the people tax their minds to the utmost, and instead of reinvigorating themselves after exhaustion, continue their labors till their systems are deranged by excessive mental application, and the brain loses the power of receiving or retaining the impressions made upon it. Many have disqualified themselves for labor by overcharging their brain with more than it can do. It requires great presence of mind, much firmness and decision of character for an ardent, enthusiastic person to take rest when work presses upon him and opportunities for labor multiply; and he frequently continues in business till sickness entirely disables him from pursuing his calling.

Inactivity of mind is another fruitful source of a poor memory. However strong and vigorous the mind may be, originally, unless exercised, it is like gold and silver laid away in a napkin, which became tarnished, though, if used daily, they would be bright for years.

Irregularity of life is another reason for a poor memory. If persons are subject to extremes, sometimes getting up early and sometimes late in the morning; if they indulge in excesses of any kind, or trifle with their organization so as to impair its power, they cannot expect to have clear ideas on any subject—especially a good memory. It is important to live systematically and methodically if we would preserve the brain in a good condition.

Dissipation destroys the memory. When the nervous system is over-stimulated by alcohol, tobacco, opium, or by anything that excites the brain, the result is unfortunate. It may increase the brilliancy for a time, but soon the constitution becomes affected by the over-stimulation, and the mind will be subsequently more dull and obtuse than ever.

Sickness is a great drawback to the memory. Mental impressions are like the daguerreotyping process. If all the chemicals, solutions, and mixtures necessary for the plate are in the laboratory, and properly applied, and the sky is clear, there will be a distinct picture of the object on the plate. If any of the chemicals employed in the process are wanting there will not be a satisfactory result, but a dull, brown, indistinct picture. So with the individual who is sickly and debilitated, whose stock of vitality is feeble; the mind is obscure, and the pictures made upon it are not clear and vivid. A person in health will have a better memory than one who is constantly complaining of illness. There is no profit in being sick, save to the doctor. How common it is for persons to say that they had a first-rate memory till they were ill at a certain time.

When sickness comes, if, instead of drugging, you should recover by attention to the laws of life, obeying those which you had broken, you might regain the tone of your mind, and memory would be restored; but some people think that they must take medicine when well to prevent their being ill, and certainly when ill to recover health. When there is imperfect digestion or bad circulation of the blood, you should not displace the disease by sending the difficulty to another part of the system, or by inducing a secondary disease; you should strive to restore every part to its normal condition. We rarely find physicians at the present day who believe that medicine cures; they say that it helps nature. If you can get along without it, you will have a better memory. Physicians often give medicine because the people ask for it, but they should teach them a better doctrine—to obey the laws of life and health. Then, the advice of one who has made a great expenditure of time and money to obtain the knowledge necessary to give information, will be appreciated and remunerated. It is the young doctor that administers the largest doses; the young parent who whips the child most severely; while the old physician gives hygienic advice, and the old father counsels his child.

Indulgence in light and frivolous reading will induce a poor memory. Many individuals spend most of their time in reading novels that they do not wish to remember, but they read them for mental dissipation. This has a great tendency to blunt the memory. The desire of the reader is not to learn the moral teachings of the work, but to find out the plot of the story, with no idea of remembering what he or she reads. The consequence is, that when they endeavor to tax the mind in earnest, it is impossible to do so, for bad habits of thought, attention and memory are not easily remedied.