The Portland daily press., 1874-06-17
The Phenomena of Sleen,

DR.. Egbert Guernsey, in the June number
of the Medical Union, thus discourses of
sleep, from physician's point of view:
''How is sleep induced, and what is the
condition of the brain during this period of
rest which occupies nearly one-third of our
lives ?' are questions not merely of curiosity
but of real practical use. Either the nervous
mass as whole is quiescent, undisturbed by
currents of nervous energy, or currents are
still kept up, but at an even, unaltering pace.
The latter conclusion seems the most plausi-
BILE, and is more distinctly borne out by facts.
The nervous system is seldom allowed to fall
into entire somnolence, but however pro-
found the slumber, the mind still seems to re-
tain waking impressions, and to be to certain
extent under their influence even in sleep. A
person even very much fatigued, who had
previously accustomed himself to that self
discipline, will fall into deep and sound
slumber, and yet wake up promptly at a time
specified in his waking moments, notwith.
standing he might have slumbered for hours
had it not been for this act of the will. A
gentleman who, in the prosecution of his bus
iness, is obliged to travel constantly, taking
the train at all hours and catching his sleep
when and where he can get it, informs me he
never has any trouble, however much ia
tigued he may be, in waking at any specified
time. Even without this strong exercise of
the will power, the brain, however profound
ly quiescent, is keenly alive to certain sounds,
however oblivious it may be to others. The
physician hears the first tap of his night-bell,
though he might sleep on undisturbed while
a band OF music was playing in front of his
windows, or the roar OF the thunder, or the
crash of artillery was making the windows
rattle and the bed tremble beneath him. The
mother starts from her deep slumber at the
first cry Of her child, her ear quickly catch
ing, however profound may be her sleep, al
most its altered breathing. 1t is said of a
young man, midshipman, wishing to COM
mend himself to the commander, spent eigh-
teen hours out of the twenty-tour in watch
ing and recording the signals, only retiring to
rest when utterly exhausted. Then his slum-
bers were so profound that the loudest noise
would produce no impression, but simply
whisper in his ear the word .'signal," and in
an instant he was on his feet, wide awake
and ready for duty. We are all familiar with
a kind OF waking sleep, in which perfect
stiffness of some monotonous sound lulls us
into kind of semi-unconsciousness Any
disturbing element may rouse up the currents
of nerve force into full activity, but without
them consciousness gradually disappears, ac-
cording as the nerve currents are UNMARRIED in
their degree, until sleep, more or less pro-
found, is produced. a.ls
Facts such as we have stated are in favor
of a certain low degree of nerve action as ex-
isting under every variety of state, from the
light sleep to the most profound. On this
hypothesis, when all the currents of the brain
are equally balanced and continue at the
same pitch, when no one is commencing, in
creasing, or abating, consciousness or feeling
is null and mind is quiescent. A disturbance
of this state of things wakens up the con-
sciousness for time; the variety or stimuls
in the waking state forbidding this perfect
equilibrium rom being attained.
Sleep is positive necessity. 1t is peri
cd of recuperation, during which there is a
restoration of what has suffered collapse,
waste or disturbance during the period Of
waking activity. The tired brain and the
aching muscles regain, by rest, strength and
the power to obey the mandates OF the will
The demands Of the material form for res
are so great as often to defy the action Of th'
mind. During the cholera summer OF 1S49
while practicing in the country, so constan
and fatiguing were my professional labor
that have often ridden for miles on horse
back sound asleep. Almost every physician
in active practice during periods OF epldem
les. when his strength was taxed to the ut
most, has dropped into a sleep, as l have
done many times, while walking the street
During the battle of the Nile many OF the
boys engaged in handing ammunition fel
asleep even while the roar of the battle was
going on around them. 1t is said in the re
treat to Corunna whole battalions of infantry
slept while in rapid march. Even the mos
acute bodily sufferings are not always suffi
cient to prevent sleep. The worn-out frame
OF the victim of the inquisition has yielded t.
its influence in the pause of his tortures upol
the rack, and for moment he has forgotten
his sufferings. The Indian burned at thu
stake, in the interval between the prelimina
ry torture and the lighting of the fire, ha
sweetly slumbered, and been only aroused b.
the fame which was to consume him curliul
around him.