The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-08-01
THE rHEHolrEnA OF SLEEP.


DR.. Egbert Guernsey, in the June
number Of the Medical Union, thus dis
courses Of sleep, from physicians
point of view:
"How is sleep induced, aud 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 curio sity but Of real practic-
al use. Either the nervous mass as .
whole is quiescent, undisturbed by cur
rents of nervous energy, or currents are
still kept up, but at an even, unaltering
pace. The latter conclusion seems the
most plausible. and is more distinctly
borne out by facts. The nervous sys.
tenn is seldom allowed to fall into entire
somnolence, but however profound the
slumber. the mind still seems to retain
waking impressions, and to certain
extent under their influence 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 wax
ing moments, Notwithstanding he might
have slumbered for hours had it not
been for this act of the will. A gen.
tleman who, in the prosecution of his
business, is obliged to travel constant
|ly, 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 fatigued he may
be, in waking at any specified time.
Even without this strong exercise OF
the will power, the brain, however pro-
foundry 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 must sleep on
undisturbed while band of music was
playing in front of his window, or the
roar of the thunder or the crash Of ar
tillery 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 quick
ly catching, however profound may be
her sleep, almost its altered breathing.
1t is said of young man, a midship
man, wishing to commend himself to
the commander, spent eighteen hours
ont Of the twenty-four in watching and
recording the signals. only retiring to
rest when utterly exhausted. Then his
slumbers were so profound that the loud
est 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 du.
ty. We are oil familiar with kind Of
waking sleep. in which perfect still
ness Of some monotonous sound lnlls us
into kind of semi-unconciousncss.
Any disturbing element may rouse up
the currents of nerve force into full &C
tivity, but without them, consciousness
gradually disappears, according as the
nerve currents are UNMARRIED in their de-
gree until sleep, more or less profound,
is produced.
Facts such as we have stated are in
favor of certain low degree Of nerve
action as existing 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 common.
cling, increasing or abating, conscious
ness or feeling is null and mind is qui.
escent. A disturbance Of this state Of
things wakens up the consciousness
for time: the variety or stimula in the
waking state forbidding this perfect
equilibrium from being attained.
Sleep is positive necessity. It is a
period of recuperation, during which
there is a restoration of what has sui.
fered collapse, waste or disturbance du-
ring the period of walking activity.
The tired brain and the aching muscles
regain, by rest, strength and the pow
er to obey the mandates Of the will.
The demands of tho material form for
rest are 80 great as often to defy the
action of the mind. During the cholc-
ra summer of 1910, while practicing
in the country, so constant and fatigu-
ing were my professional labors that !
have often ridden for miles on horse
back sound asleep. During the battle
Of the Nile many of the boys engaged