The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-08-27

The Infuenoe Of sleep Over pisease

The influence Of Sleep Over Disease
Some Of our older practitioners, ospe-
oially in the country, have been in the
habit Of having patients wakeuod every
ten or fifteen minutes This we regard
as entirely wrong, and calculated but to
increase the nervous irritabilitY, intensity
disease, and prolong the recovery. In
Dr.. Wares tenth lecture on General The
rapeutics, published in the Boston Medi-
cal and Surgical Journal for January
10th, few remarks are made that have a
bearing upon The point under oonsiders-
ton He says -
'ln all forms aud conditions of disease.
both acute and chronic. the state of the
patient as 10 sleep is an important con
sidcration, both az regards his comfort,
and also as regards the satisfactory pro-
gross Of his case. The nature OF this con-
dition Of animal life we do not fully un-
derstand; we only know that il is ne
cessary one, and having vast influence
on the state of the system. It's purpose
seems 10 be 10 afford an opportunity, by
the suspension of certain activities of the
system which require the exhaustion of
those powers that emanate from the ner-
vous system, for The reinforcement of
those powers. II is also during sleep that
the repair of the tissues by nutrition is
provided for. Not that all nutrition is
suspended during our waking hours. or
that all waste is suspended during sleep;
but that in two states Of sleeping and
waking there is respectively large pre-
dominance of the repair and the waste.
Sleep is not merely rest; as il has been
sometimes considered, an entire rest of
all the organs at once; il is something spe-
officially different. IL isa condition of an
entirely different nature, and a condition
for which rest is not, in any sense sub
stitute. The mere facts Of exist
ence, without exercise, without fatigue
the simple going on of liie-implies
a certain expenditure of force, which
renders necessary, at certain intervals,
a suspension of those functions of
the brain and nervous system which
are subservient to the phenomena ofmind.
IL is possible that ordinary rest might
afford an opportunity for the nutrition Of
all these tissues, except those which arc
the agents of the mind. But IL seems TO
be necessary, for the repair of these, that
the functions OF the mind should also be
suspended. OF the physical condition Of
the brain in sleep, and also concerning
the peculiar state of the mind in sleep,
notwithstanding The many theories which
have been formed concerning them, we
know nothing with certainty and this is
not necessary to the practical management
of the sick. What should guide us is the
EOnNVInnOa lhat a aaVf al m nj &C ell
at proper intervals, is an absolute neces-
sity, and its absence or its deficiency is
always a great evil, and TO be prevente d
by every possible means. In acute dis
eases q sufficient amount of quiet sleep is
at once a favorable indication Of the ma
ture and issue Of case, and also is an
important agent in the promotion Of ia
v0rable issue. Its absence, on the con.
trary, is, pro t1ut0, an unfavorable indi-
dication as to the result, and also pro-
notes an unfavorable issue. Want Of
sleep adds TO the sullerings Of the patient,
and also 10 his exhaustion, and conse-
qqently interieres with the success Of the
sanitary process, and impairs the power
ofrecovery. in every point of view, then,
the state Of the patient in this respect be-
NVAiiN9 wv NDJSNNN VI AltSNAttA aANlhtAllls VA
lutary changes in the condition of pa
tent will be often found TO take place
during sleep, and to manifest themselves
most obviously on awaking from that
which has been sound and refreshing
DIR. Ware makes another practical re-
mark that we know il would oftontimos
be prudent TO put in practice, and yet we
have reason TO believe it is seldom thought
Of by the physician, or urged upon tho
aitentionof the patient -
1T sometimes happens that, after a
short nap on first going TO bed, person
wakens without any known cause, and
then remains obsunately watchful for
many hours. In this case, il he rises,
washes his face, hands and feet, and
walks about briskly for awhile, and re-
turns to bed, the charm may be broken,
and continued sleep will ensue. Or he
may rise and write or read with the same
result"