The Inner Life

For example there was a peace officer in a certain rural district. It became necessary in the pursuit of his official duties to aid in sending a certain bad man to the penitentiary. The convict told the officer that he would “get him” some day.

When released from prison he reiterated that threat. The officer thoroughly believed that he meant what he said and would kill him if the opportunity presented itself. He kept himself in a constant state of mental anxiety and tension. He was constantly on guard. Any unusual noise caused him to be ready for instant action.

When walking down the street or driving his car, if anyone appeared that he did not at once recognize as one of his neighbors, he charged himself for action—yet he did not act.

This highly wrought mental state existed for some time, until finally his health began to give him concern, and he was examined and sugar was found in his urine and his condition was diagnosed as diabetes. The usual treatment was prescribed but the condition persisted.

Let us see what really happened. When he charged himself mentally for action, for emergency action, the thyroid gland was first to start the alarm in the bodily functions. The thyroid gland not only sends stimulating substances into the blood-stream to help meet the emergency, but sends messengers (hormones) to other glands. The adrenal glands send out a most powerful stimulant and the liver disgorges glycogen, which is very high in carbon.

The action in this case might be compared to stepping quickly on the accelerator while driving a car. If one needs a sudden increase of speed to meet an emergency, he puts more pressure on the accelerator, which causes a greater flow of gasoline which can also is high in carbon content and is burned to produce the energy needed to carry the car at increased speed.

In the case we are discussing, more carbon was forced into the blood stream and stimulating chemical substances were deposited by the glands of internal secretion to help carry out this energy-producing function. Yet all action was repressed by the mind of the officer, contrary to the natural law of his being. So without a chance to use the substances put into the blood stream