Abstract: Taking "external causes to be the condition of change and internal causes to be the basis of change, external causes becoming operative through internal causes", this paper analyzes the etiology of 283 neurasthenics. It shows that external agents cause overstrain of cortical activity only through the internal characteristics of the patient—the functional state of the cortex and the patient's recognition. The authors draw the following preliminary conclusion: the patient's attitude toward his work, study and life has great effect on the generation and development of neurasthenia. Comments are also made on the problem of the relationship between the patient's recognition and individual characteristics and the characteristics of types of higher nervous activity and on the problem how the two factors interact in causing neurasthenia.

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