The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-05-23
Chronic Wakefulness It's Causes
and Cure.
~ "

IN EDWIN TEAPI%E-
Sleep and digestion are the two most
important functions of the human
body. and one is just as liable to de-
rangement as the other. People COM
plain OF poor digestion why should
they not complain of poor sleep: 1t
is not al nusua occurrence 10 read
in the papers OF some distinguished
individual who Is suffering from some
form OF chronic wakefulneSs- Ii would
seem that the excitement OF our age
was very favorable 10 this compliant.
To those unacquainted with the causes
of this disease, II may seem nothing
very serious, something very easy To
be remedied. 4 little medicine Tor a
while and all will be right. But lei
the complaint remains, IN spite o! 4
continued use of medicine, anu With
out any other known disease. the
cause of Ii con a matter OF great
interest. If the doctor Is consulted.
he Will prescribe for the case. but may
not give the desired information. O
the physiology and conditions under
which We get the best and the most
sleep are not easily determined. The
lady who does rs she pleases, and
when she likes. is not often troubled
for the want of sleep. while her harder
working sister finds 1T almost lmpossi-
BILE TO get the little rest she needs. III
is generally supposed that those who
take the most exercise get the best
sleep but such is not always the tact.
The lady is not wakeful because she
does not overhead her head in the per
Torrance of her work. have known
many obstinate cases of wakefuiness
caused by o~verheatlng the head-un-
consciously, perhaps-over the COOK
stove or in the hot sun the individ-
ual complains that she cannot go To
sleep till late, and if she has to get up
early in the morning, as many a house
wife has to do, she complains after "A
While of great dullneSs and inability
to work.
Women are more subject to wake
fulnesS than men, as they are kept
awake by crying babies, and If amy OF
the family are sick it is expected that
they attend to every want by night
and day. The habit of sleeping little
becomes fixed, and the circulating part
OF the head weakened, making II al
most impossible to obtain rest, and
the case ends with a total loss of sleep,
or the person dies from an intiamma-
ton or congestion of the head. h
fact las been demonstrated by DR..
Hammond, and other medical men.
t1dt WdktlulncSS Is que 10 all l1ltItdScu
amount of blood in the brain. The
patient may not be conscious of tins,
beyond a feeling of dullness and an
inability to express himself readily !;
yet the fact can be proved if ne Will
observe all the occasional causes OF
wakefulneSs.
The plan of treatment varies accord
ing to causes. If the person is sleep.
less from mental excitement and over
study, it is certain the blood should be
called away to other parts of the body
by suitable exercise and avoidance If
disturbing agents but if, on the other
hand, the wakefulness proceeds from
overwork in the heat, day after day,
until the powers of sleep are weaken
ed, it is plain that a different course
must be adopted. Although in per-
~ of a full habit, bleeding is recon-
mended, yet a spare diet, and but lit
tie exercise will, after a while, reduce
the amount of blood in the system to
a healthy equilibrium. The patient
should avoid violent and long contIn-
ued exercise. especially In the heat,
and also exposure to severe cold, for
when the exterior of the body is eX-
posed to cold, the blood is driven into
the interior vessels. Another point is
to keep the bowels and pores Of the
skin open. Suppression of sweat is a
frequent cause of wakefulness in the
u season. Above az sleep as
long as you can. More are injured by
too little than by too much sleep.
DIR. Cuyler writes of a student who
says: 4 shall never forget the fearful
earnestness with which a beloved col
lege instructor warned me on my de
parture for Andover, to beware of re
fusing to take too much sleep. Said
!, he When | was at Andover | would
often sit up all night to study, and my
usual custom was never to go to bed
before two in the morning. What has
been the consequences: Nature has
taken her revenge; for the past ten
years have never known what it is
; to be sleepy, save when under the in
t1uence Of drugs, and you know how
| AVE been crippled by broken
health" This is only an instance OF
many similar cases, and should teacI
, us caution.