South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-10-06
On WekefuIness.

THE primary cause Of wGkefulness Is
an increase in the quantity of blood cir.
culating in the brain; hence, any condi.
ton or cause capable Of inducing this state
of the Cerebral circulation may give rise
to it. As these causes are more or less
under the control of the individual, it is
important that they should be generally
known. 1. Excessive and long-continued
intellectual action, or powerful mental
emotions. 2. Those positions of the body
which tend to impede the flow Of blood
from the brain, and, at the same time, do
not obstruct its passage tothe brain. Many
physicians have noticed the connection ex-
listing between bodily position and wake
fitness. 1t is evident that the recumbent
position is more conducive to a state OF
congestion of the brain than the erect or
semi-erect. DR.. Forbes Winslow, DIR.
Hammond, and several other physicians
have noticed an increase in the number
and intensity of hallucinstions of insane
patients, or persons suffering from deliri-
UNI tremens, as soon as they assume the
recumbent position. These patients have
been found to sleep quietly for some time
in an arm chair, but to be annoyed by hal
lucinations as soon as they lie down. 3.
Certain substances used as medicine or
food. The chief agents of this class are
alcohol, tea Especially strong green tea),
coffee, opium, bellsdonna, s~trsmonium,
and Indian hemp or hsshish. Opium, in
small doses, is often especially potent In
inducing wakefulness. A single dose of
half q grain has been known to keep a pa
tent awake for three consecutive nights.
All the so-called narcotics, in small doses,
induce wakefulness rather than sleep. 4
To the above, DR.. Hammond adds a fourth
exciting cause of insomnia-nsmely, func-
tonal arrangements of certain organs of
the body whereby al increase in the
amount of blood in the brain is produced.
As, however, such cases as these are be-
You'd the control of the sufferer, we need
not discuss them here. In all those cases
of Takefulness dependent upon severe and
long continuous mental exertlon-and
these are the cases to which we especially
wish to draw the attentions of wi readers
all means of relief will be utterly use
less until the patient consents TO give
his brain entire relaxation for a time.
Whenever is is possible, a course of travel
through a romantic country, or 9 visit to
the seaside, should be regarded as impera-
tive. An early dinner, followed by q
hearty supper of plain and nutritious
dishes, is preferable 10 a heavy, late din
ner. The value of physical exercise-and
especially riding-in the open air, can
scarcely be oyer-estimated, and should be
carried On to the point of incipient fatigue.
A shower bath in the morning, and a warm
bath before retiring to rest, are useful
auxiliaries; a somewhat high and not too
soft a pillow should be used; and, if the
feet are very cold, ahot-water bottle should
be placed at the foot of the bed. If the
preceding means-all or most of which
the patient can try for himself-fail, re-
course should at once be had to profess
sional advice. If we had been asked q
couple of years sgo what was the most
potent agent Ia the treatment of wakeful-
ness, we should have answered without
hesitation, bromide of potassium. There
is now reason to believe, from the re-
searches of DR.. Clcuston, that q combins-
ton of this salt with tineture of Indian
hemp, in the proportion of half a drachm
of the salt to a drachm of the Iincture, is
pore potent in allsying nervous excite
ment in cases of insanity, and probably
generally, than the bromide alone, even in
a far larger dose. The most powerful and
irresistible of all sleep promoters is, how
ever, the new remedy known as hydrate
of chloral, and which, it is stated, has
been prescribed successfully, and without
a single accident, in more than 100000
cases IN this country alone.-ORce a Week.