Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-06
SIGNIFICANT DREAMS.
The Explanation Offered by Science Of
Some Curious Phenomena.


Dreaming is an experience which may be
called common to humanity, though it varies
so widely in different individuals that in q few
exceptional cases it is absolutely unknown.
Certainly dreams are often made Of materials
very inadequate to their finished results.
Scientific writer's admit that there is type Of
dream in which coming physical disease or dis
aster is Swallowed forth-some bodily sensa-
ton, perhaps too slight to be noticed by the
subject when awake, yet coutriving to impress
itself in some symbolic form on the sleeping
mind. The more striking instances Of this
sort may serve to explain how, in some lesser
degree. certain symbols are likely to attach
themselves to certain painful sensations or
conditions, until at last they are finally &C.
cepted as mysterious presages of evil.
Conrad Gesner, the eminent naturalist,
dreamed that he was bitten on the left side by
a venomous serpent. In a short time severe
carbuncle appeared on the very spot, terminal
ing his life in the space of three days. Another
scientific man, who dreamed of being bitten
by black cat, also suffered in the same way.
A learned jesuit, author of many eruodite theo-
logical works, saw. one night in his sleep, aman
laying his hand upon his chest, who announced
to him that he would soon die. He was then
in perfect health, but was shortly carried off
by pulmonary disorder. A lady who had
dream in which she saw all objects dim and OBJ
scured by mist, was soon after attacked by q
disease of the eye, of which that was a symp-
tom. A dream of great fire, in which the
sleeper himself seemed to be consumed, was
followed soon after by an attack of infiamma-
ton OF the brain. Apoplexy, epilepsy, and
similar diseases are often preceded by fright
full dreams, in which the sleeper feels himself
scalped by Indians, thrown over precipices, or
torn to pieces by wild beasts. Such
Miserable nights
So full of fearful dreams, of ugly si0hts
should be treated as warnings in the truest
sense Of that word-as sent by nature to fore
tell impending evils which skill and wisdom
may be able to avert.
Thus, if science has dispelled such old wives
fables as that to dream Of a marriage signified
a death, or to dream of cat meant to meet a
foe, she has certainly added mysteries and ter
rors Of her own to the subject. One learned
man has actually tried to systematic these
subtitle premonitions-to make them more
available for use and guidance In his opinion,
Lively dreams are in general q sign Of the
excitement Of nervous action.
'Soft dreams are sign of slight irritation Of
the head; often in nervous fevers announcing
the approach of favorable crisis.
"Frightful dreams are a sign of determine
ton of blood to the head.
dreams about blood and red objects are
signs OF infiammatory conditions.
Dreams of distorted forms are frequently a
sign Of distractions and diseases Of the liver.
ture or injury of any limb indicate disease in
that limb.
Dreams about death often precede apo
plexy, which is connected with determination
of blood to the head"
HER TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
An educated and very sensible lady had been
through a rather fatiguing social day. On re-
firing to bed she soon fell asleep and presently
dreamed that an old man clothed in black ap-
preached her, holding ont an iron crown appa-
rently of enormous weight. As he drew near
she recognized the features of her father, who
had been dead for many years. He addressed
her thus: my daughter, during my lifetime 1
was forced to wear this crown. Death relieved
me OF the burden, but 1t now descends to you"
He placed it on her head and gradually disap-
peared. Immediately she felt weight and
tlghtness about her brow Further, to add to
her torture, the rim of the crown was studded
on the inside with sharp points, which wounded
her forehead SO that blood ran down her face
She awoke, agitated and excited, but otherwise
quite well, and found that she had been asleep
little more than half an hour. On falling asleep
again the dream was repeated, with the addi-
tional circumstance that the apparition of her
father now reproached her for her unwilling
ness to wear the crown When she awoke
again she found she had been asleep for three
hours. Again she returned to bed, and the
dream was repeated in broad daylight
She now arose and made her toilet. Going
over the circumstances of her dream. she recoi-
lected having heard her father say that during
his youth, spent in distant land he had been
subject to epiieptic convulsions consequent ON
an accident, and that he had been cured by
the operation of trephining.
On sister entering her room she proceeded
to narrate the picturesque vision which had,
naturally, made such an impression on her
memory. While thus engaged she suddenly
gave a shrek, became unconscious, and fell
upon the floor in true epileptic commissions.
though the attack was but slight one. A
week afterward the dream was repeated, and
was followed by another attack. Under suta-
BILE treatment both dream and attack ceased to
recur.