An injured nerve requires a longer time to heal than a broken bone and
quite as much care and self-denial. Any serious disturbance to the
circulation produces a pressure in the blood vessels of the nervous
centres, and tears away the improvement that has commenced there. Then
nature has to begin her work over again; and if this happens repeatedly
nature becomes tired of working in vain and refuses to give further
assistance. This was Wasson's misfortune. He was sensitive and excitable
by temperament, the injury to his spine had made him still more so, and
the mental agitation he experienced during 1852 and 1853 was enough to
prevent him from ever being restored to perfect health. During these two
years he must have endured nothing less than the tortures of the
inquisition; and no doubt some of his Calvinistic neighbors considered
it a judgment on him for his heresy. A mutilated life is not so very bad
after one is used to it, but the beginning is terrible. It is like being
surrounded with invisible barbed fences, which we inevitably run against
and lacerate ourselves with, until we learn to bear in mind their exact
position. Accidents too happen to nervous invalids which other people
seem generally to escape from. Wasson was at one time making fair
progress in his condition when suddenly one day, as he was walking
through Boston, the door of a house opened and a lady slipping on some
ice and tripping over the steps fell right into his arms.
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