Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-01-10
Human Information.

]
The relationship between sleep, "the
cousin of death" and death itself, is
probably real as we'll as apparent. The
distance which separates them is great
but there are intermediate connections
grades Of dissolution as of develOpement
Among these the similar states of trance
and Information are worthy of special
notice. For sleep and for trance, one
cause, the exhaustion chiefly of nervous
matter, but more or less Of every organ
and tissue, is assignable. The hysteri-
cal stupOr IS the sleep Of nerve centers,
worn out with the assault and conflict
of stormy reflex action. Healthy sleep
is the rest Of physical clements Wearied
with the same strain and applied more
gradually. Cases have been recorded in
which sOmnOlence, continuing for days
without cessation, has resembled trance
In its duration, while preserving all the
ordinary features OF natural sleep. Va
riOus facts support Us In assOCiating the
Information of animals with the same
train of organic or functional changes as
the other unconscious states which we
have been considering. 1t comes like a
habit has, one may say, annual return;
its apparent cause is the oppression of
external cold, and the animals 1t affects
are mostly those which, from their bod
lily structure or habits, are subject to
great periodic variations Of temperature.
Vital tissue Is exhausted, and function Is
in part suspended, probably because the
numbness Of cold has taken hold upon
the radicles of the outer circulation, and
of that of the brain surface which is con-
neCted with 1t by numerous anastOmOses
In such a case anaemia would seem to be
the cause of the Winter sleep, as there
is evidence to show that 1T Is also the
cause of that temporary starvation Of
brain which lulls without arresting it's
action, in the natural repOse of each
night.
We may even regard the lethargy,
ended by death, into which man falls
when exposed to great cold, as a short
and mortal Information. The same IN
huence acts upon him as upon the bear
or fish, but the power of its shock is
greater upon his finer and less accus-
toned senses than upon their COMPARE
lively coarse organization. So likewise
in other regions and forms Of life, In the
WEAKNESS, paralysis atrophy and gan
creme of limbs in the leafeEs hiberna-
tons OF trees. and IN their decay, begin
ming in the terminal tWigs, the same
teaching is evident, that vascular nutri-
ton, in its periodic variations, is the pa
rent of activity and of rest, as its alb
sence is of death. 1t is not, therefore,
altogether surprising to meet with Occa-
siOnal cases in which death is simulated
by some deep degree Of stupOr. The
case of George Childet, a labOrer, living
at BridgeWater, which was lately re-
corded in the daily papers, appears to
have been one of this kind. The trance
like state developed quite suddenly, and
was mistaken by the relatives for death.
Some slight degree of warmth in the ap-
parent corpse induced the clergyman in
to refuse burial in spite Of
the decided wish of the relatives that it
should take place. After eight days the
signs Of animation, were re-established
and the subject of this singular expe-
rience slowly recovered. In all such
cases there is an element of mystery,
and one cannot always decide how much
of this is due to physiological or patho-
logical conditions, or to some external
agency. We are not informed of the
in the present instance, and
cannot say how much hard work, under
feeding. anxiety or other causes may
have had to do with the result. The
state described, if really one of trance,
affords a striking exampl5 of the diff
Guilty which sometimes, though very
rarely, arises in proving the final point
in diagnosis, and a warning that the
most trivial sign of vitality should not
be overlooked in determining the fact of
death.