The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-12-25

and, conversely, those who are subject
to the anomalous maladies and symp-
toms too often set down to fancy, but
actually existing and traceable with
care to some special ganglion of the
sympathetic system (for example, un-
easiness in the "pit of the stomach" !"
or aching pain in the lower lumbar re-
gion of the spine), are disturbed or dis
orderly sleepers. Sleep is a nerve state,
whether the part sleeping be the brain
or certain parts of the organ, the mus
cular system or the viscera. The modi-
fications which take place in the vessels
supplying the organ or system that
sleeps are the effects or consequences.
instead of the causes, of its condition.
The author devotes q chapter to the
subject of going to sleep, and considers
here the use Of narcotics for the pur-
pose of inducing it, observing that 1.-THE
state they produce is not sleep, but a
condition Of narcotism that counter
feits Sleep" adding, "When q man
says, Il want a quiet night; 1 will take
a sleeping draught,' he speaks in para
bles. To express the facts plainly he
should say, Il want a quiet night; 1
cannot obtain it by going to sleep, or 1
am afraid to trust to the chances of
natural rest, so will poison myself a
little, just enough to make me urcon-
scious or slightly paralyze my nerve
centers, not enough to kill If this
fact should be kept clearly before the
mind, the reckless use of drugs which
produce a state that mocks sleep would
be limited" The state of inaction
which is brought about by natural
sleep is very different from that which
is produced by paralysis of any degree.
The following remarks are important:
Habit greatly helps the performance
of the initial act, and the cultivation of
habit of going to sleep in q particu
lar way, at a particular time, will do
more to procure regular and healthy
sleep than any other artifice. The for
nation of the habit is, in fact, the crea-
ton or development of special center,
which will henceforward produce sleep
this were more generally recognized,
persons who suffer from sleeplessness
of the sort which consists in being sim
ply ' unable to go to sleep" would set
themselves reselutely to form such
habit. 1t is necessary that the training
should be specific, and include attention
to details. 1t is not very important
what q person does with the intention
of going to sleep; but he should do pre-
cisely the same thing, in the same way,
at the same time, and under as nearly
as possible the same conditions, night
after night for q considerable period,
say three or four weeks at least. The
result will amply reward the effort.
The doctor remarks, very wisely, that
"sleep ought to be induced by instinct
acting in response to the sense of ia
tigue, or in obedience to the impulse of
habit; but when the orderly perform
ance of a natural process has been in
terrupted, it is difficult to restore the
rhythmical sequence of cause and Ell
feet" As he truly remarks, "the suf-
ferings and discomfort of those who
find the act of going to sleep difficult,
are many and various" We can hard
ly, from our point of view, agree with
the opinion which DIR. Mortimer Gran
vile expresses, that cit is a mistake,
and tends to the mischievous habit of
partial sleep, to seek sleep as a relief
from trouble, worry or pain" He
holds that we should seek relief both for
the mind and the body before sleep is
sought, because eff this precaution be
not taken, the sleep induced will be only
loss of consciousness, or, perhaps,
automatic, muscular or visceral; but
not natural and general sleep which
alone gives general repose." We con-
tent ourselves with asking whether
cases are not frequently arising in
which the only chance apparently of
gaining relief from pain of body and
mind is by obtaining, first of all, a little
sleep of some kindP But we will quote
from this really interesting little book a
valuable passage:
A constrained or uncomfortable pos
ture will often prevent repose. Lying
fat on the back, with the limbs relaxed,
would seem to secure the greatest
amount of rest for the muscular system.
This is the position assumed in the
most exhausting diseases, and it is
generally hailed as q token of revival
when a patient voluntarily turns on the
| side; but there are several disadvan-
tages in the supine posture which i'm
pair or embarrass sleep. Thus,
in weakly states of the heart
and blood vessels, and in certain
morbid conditions of the brain,
the blooo seems to gravitate to the back
of the head, and to produce trouble.
some dreams. In persons who habit
ually in their gait or work, stoop. there
is some distress consequent on straight
ening the spine. Those who have con.
tracted chests, especially persons who
have had pleurisy and retain adhesions
of the lungs, do not sleep well on the
back. Nearly all who are inclined to
snore do so when in that position, be.
cause the soft palate and uvola hang
on the tongue, and that organ falls
back so as to partially close the top ol
the windpipe. 1t is better, therefore,
to lie on the side, and in the absence ol
special chest disease, rendering it de.
sirable to lie on the weak side so as to
leave the healthy lung free to expand
it is well to choose the right side, be
cause when the body is thus placed the
food gravitates more easily out of the
stomach into the intestines, and the
weight of the liver does not compress.
the upper portion of the intestines. A
glance at any plate of the visceral anat
omy will show how this must be
Many persons are deaf in one ear, anC
prefer to ]ie on a particular side; but i
possible, the right side should bs
chosen, and the body rolled q little
forward so that any saliva which may
be secreted shall run easily out of the
mouth, if not unconsciously swallowed
Again, sleeping with the arms thrown
over the head is to be deprecated; bu
this position is often assumed during
sleep, because circulation is then fret
in the extremities and the head anl
neck, and the muscles of the chest art
drawn up and fixed by the shoulders
and thus tn expansion of the thorax il
easy. The chief objections to this po
sition are that it creates q tendency :,
cramp and cold in the arms, and some
times seems to cause headaches durin!
sleep and dreams. These small mat
ters often make or mar comfort il
sleeping.
Webster, Choate and Sumner.