The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-01-16
Tuesday Morning, January l6 1865.
Maine Insane Hospital.

The report of the the Trustees for Decem-
ber, 1866, is devoted mainly to plain state
ment of the present financial condition of the
institution. Anew wing has been completed
during the fiscal year, at a cost of $685. 400 90.
The amount appropriated by the Legislature
last winter was $4,000, SO that there is a
small deficit to be met by legislative action
this session. The new wing was rendered
absolutely necessary owing to the increasing
numbers, and the inadequate accommodations
previously existing. The Trustees allude to
the admirable sanitary condition of the Hos
pital, and speak of the Superintendent and
bis subordinates in terms indicative of high
appreciation of their fidelity. Tr- -1qali gnI
The Superintendent's report is well-written
and very instructive. After presenting valua-
BILE statistical tables, he proceeds to offer what
he modestly terms "a few desultory thoughts
upon sleep. The views are far from being de-
sultory, or, as that word strictly means, with
out order or competition. They are succinctly
expressed, and are of such great Importance
to the community that no apology is needed
for presenting them to our readers. DIR. Har-
~" SaAoiuiiy pleparou iepol' Is "or1hy u
studious perusal. If the cautions presented
in lit were needed, the number of the insane
would speedily diminish, and our hospitals con-
tain only those anomalous cases against whose
occurance no human power or wisdom can
guard. The high estimation with which DR..
Harlow is held by his medical brethren is well
deserved. MS asslduous study and unselnsh
devotion have made the Hospital of his
charge an honor to the State. , r.- ..4.-.
W. oonnot Low hof,ro ,,,r -oodo., ,,ouo
w So' 10y n Ae.0'. 'noio az,
ceptapie matter than the following extract
from his report: INK aoar8I las u
The phenomena of sleep are most wonder-
full and interesting To studv. n is common
and familiar "a niobt and vet bnt little Il real
iv known nj this necnl;ar state We o;ve our-
selves To its GENTLE ;nfuence' and are carried
bevond ali knovlefce inf, regions unfathom-
abIe. where naucbt but the eve which never
sleens can nenetrate or the hand which naver
tires can lead II h the nrocess bv which ma.
tire il renovated-the means hv which she re.
cunerates her wasted enereies. An thincs an.
imata and inan;mate reo,,;ra ito inflna5ca u
Earth. air. and water have their season of re.
nose. The animal and vegetable creatior
alike have their neriod Of resf, tn IA one ri
Cod,s GRAND ;ynnntobla lows which connot h[
broken with impunity. No physioloeical con. n
d;tion ofthe human system ieman1s more
core and thonobtf,I otfention tha,, .hat ,vhic,,
ra1ates m oooG bealtbf;,I slean and vst r. Z
onaof ,I,e Iast onI saan,;nd,ir
tI;,,s,, - a"1's;Ionai o.,aa.i ,.,a., Sar
tha,, o,s, othor IS;,,o, ho;,,e, .h;s i5rest taot
r. ,yas tlv dasi,nod 2, ,y;sa C,aato
that he shonld snan,l 81 Iaast ono tb;rd yart =
h;S aartb1v e;stencs y, tho e,,;o,,,a,,t r. ~;
liea-nraserv;ng heoItb-o;n;no n,;nc;n1e ,nh;oI
;s "a essential fo health y; hodv anil mind ID q
the air | we hreatbe | or 'tba TODD wa cot :
II Is ,,r;,,o;na Z, ,,h,,s;olo-,, that III,
ar tho,a : t;l,, -, o., y. = -
;s corrasno1S;na ,yosta r 81 t;.s,,a ~
of Which The mart ia comnoseJ. and +hare fni II
lows rom nccess;+v a nar;od ~ rast y, orSa A..
that tbe mart NAV he no,,,;sb ed and +ha vast,
renaired Temnorary root seems N ha ohso,nto
10 necessarv ta nariact re.,s;r Eve,r 'c r;taI :
H,nct;nr,.I ,ort df g .ho s,;,,Pai ao ,rsaa S.o
~, om~h aitarnsta -o,.ods ~ oot;o,, llJ P',~ ~
nose. The heart, f1r instance. nanses affe
each nnIsation and fol,owjno eyerr p hreatb W. 70,
draw ;s ! nar;od Of rsst fer e ths rn Inn"s w. wv
nerves and muscles of resn;ration RI co
Of f,,,So,as oa,, ha tarst j., ao,,t,,s,aJ ao+;or
',a ~au De Acps NJ ;.p1 s. s'';on ~
T,cnt Of tha;r a,nnt;o,' Thora go ,,,,,.t ba !.
dna ,,roro,t;on Of rast ~ ,ha haolth ~ ~,
nsrt Jetor;o,.otes ~ " VIZ '-'A- " '''
Who can telI the ya,uo of s,oo, ;,, ;to rbvs;
cal relations ond haor;,os - - :. a.1,irsy ry :,
its physical ;mnortance Tha hra;, IL ~
conceded ororan of mini Eror, - a,,,ona.
| consciousness Sensation vol;tlon a,not;o,, a.,
| Intelligent thouobt. &c.
These manifestations of brain action involv,
an amount of waste ar consnmnt;on of tba,
nrcan corresnondino with the deoree of fnnc
| tional activity. which must in some way be re
| placed: and nature seems to have provide
perfect sIeep as the proper means TO this end.
| It is pretty well understood. that the brai,
| is relatively in yery different state durin
sleep, from what it is during wakefulness.-
From observations and experiments made up
on tne living Dram, IN cases Where portions o
| the skull have been carried away or lost b
disease. it is proved quite satisfactorily. tha
| thismost nortant organ Is. az Nj. Dnrban
| ofLondon, says: "during sleep in a compare
lively bloodless condition; and the blood Il
the encephalon vessels is not only diminishe
in quantity, but moves with diminishing "a
pidlty." .eN I'D y eE m
| The physician knows full well that his pa
tient can get no sleep while the face is hot an
flushed, the carotids are violently throbbine
end every vessel about the head is filed TO it
| utmost limit, and he makes his hypnotic pre-
sciption accordingly to be taken at bed time.
| The student or professional man is tamilia
with the difficulty often experienced in pass
ing readily from state of active wakefdlnes
TO that OF good, quiet sleep, after day OF wig
orous mental labor; or when in order to &C
complish the most in given space Of time, h
works his brain on through nightly vigils, eve
into the small hours allotted to sleep. This b
does often, not with his own ordinary power'
but with the aid of of various artificial force
calculated to stimulate the functional powe
| of the mental organ to its utmost. His labo
| ended he lies down, not to refreshing, health
full sleep, but to period of insomnia follow
| ed by harassing dreams, which are nearly Q
quite as exhausting as wakefulness and ord
nary labor. ea
| 40 .,.sn 4 gentle s,een.
| Natures sotf nurse how have friehted thee.
| That thou wilt no more weigh mine eyelids down,
And steep my senses in forgetfalness." nei
Mr.. Durham, from whose valuable paper o.