Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-13
PRACTICAL POINTS.
uMsNrAL SCIENTISTS AND CURE
FOR INSOMNIA.
Get one Thought Chase Another Rapidly
UntIl You Cesse to Think--A Practice
for Insomnia Cure.
,co,r,,,o,a.pee 81 ,he R,chmona nlspa,ch.I

BROoEfy>. N. T.. April ID 'cF".
A LADY in Savannah who has been unoer
the care OF a professional mental scien-
list" submits a question which, - sntii-
ciently interesting TO he discussed IN ms
,,nI,ic corrsspondencc. I" DO You thi,lk,
she asks In straightforward English, :" that
one can by an effort OF the VIII prevent
coffee from keeping one awake az ngntf
am particularly fond Of nt'er.dinner coz
fee, and the lady who has been treating me
saws Drink the coffee. for IL IL not the
coffee that keeps YOU awake, but your
mental attitude toward the coffee: ~ 10
simply n THOUGHT, and X Won do not allow
Yourself 70 think that thought You VIII
drink your coffee and sleep as usual.
have been treated 20 a goodly amount
of this same kind Of stuff, and. as lar as !
can Judge. 10 Is unadulterated nonsense. ~
mas only an unsupported theory TO recon-
mend Il. The effect OF coffee IS exceed
;nclv marked on certain organisms. IL
stimulates the nerves and brightens the
intellect. A strong cup OF coffee Las helped
many a weary sick-bed watcher through
the trying nights and made II possible tor
ths fiapring faculties of the penny-a-iiner
10 write the story which brought the bread
for the children. On some persons coffee
has apparently no effect, but strong cup
Of ten In their cases will produce the same
stimulating results. To say that these Ell
fects are brought about by helief that
,hey will be produced is to accuse human
sature OF more imbecility than really oe,
topps TO e. We are all unobSerVlnR ana
illogical and foolish enough, and perhaps
I, eneraily fail to charge effects 70 the,r
., oper causes, hut know the nerve thrill,
Il. beautiful waking up wrought on me
nv n cup of coffee. and II Is an Insult 10
nv intelligence to tell me that tins inter
ect, ial spring is the result OF 'n1u .sd,
II IN
,shne az would like 20. ask these theos
,ists a nv the sleep which follows dose OF
nornb me. or the unconsciousness coming
de, N q inhalation of ether or chloroiorm
Is NO, N e result of thought One con-
clns;on = exactly as logical as the other.
So saw TO my friends who cannot drlnk
cotsee nj night without subsequent wake
f,iness Let the cup of dissipation pass you
~. The momentary enjoyment aud the
sJc.sant effects Of this beverage cannot
-, rnate up for the loss of a nights
49,. Rapish everything, turn cold
shonida, to everything that interferes with
,bis mos necessary rest. GOOD sleep Is the
fonndatic of good health.
;rbere a, % unfortunately many innocent
.,,Tararo rom insomnia. They do not
dr;nL coffe 2. neither do they indulge IN
en- ro,ve , tmulant. They simply can
~, Gloon 7arious remedies have from
time 10 fine 'een prescribed for this most
nnbannv and dangerous CONDITION ana
once In awhile we hear OF something that
seems 10 possess real eihcacy. IN talk m
o,.,r .b;o matter with one OF our most dls-
Nod nbvsic ians was informed That
-. ~. g,r;r,nn a o., eat deal of insomnia -
nroduced by taking 10 bed the tangles ana
i.,in,;t;as ~ the day. A mother sur
rounded by her fami v mas no tlihe 20 tnInA
ont the problem of da NV hVing the Dusl-
pess-rnan full of sche mes anu alhDi. -I.'
4 4.
his campaign surrounded oy MS Glerhs i ~,
customers. The fine pom, sare all saved VII
the lights are out and the mouse IL 9ule..
The habit of drinking intoX 'catlns ilpuois
or IN using tobacco rs not more qA'LOhiS
contracted than the habit of Neeples''he
my doctor told me, and wb N ouGt' az
ouircd II is the most difficult OF al ia oits
TO overcome. Now, whlle can ui9i
with the mental-bealers IN their thso 'les
of thought-causes. | sm staunch oehe xoI
in the power Of the will. and so wiNen Nlis
physician told me that he had seen scof es
Of cases OF chronic insomnia perma.1enu
cured by turning of the thought cur tehn ;
simultaneously with the gas or the unlI
in ones bedroom, II seemed TO me tLero
might be good deal IN the iuea. ht"
is il done!" | asked.
"Let us take man." he replied, who
is thoroughly aware of his danger, and is
anxious 10 do all he can 10 secure sleep.
saw TO tins man. when YOU 90 into your
bedroom determine 90 stop thinking. BY
n little mental skill You can reject an lntru-
siye thought This may be at first only TO
make place for another. but the second can
be disposed of in the same manner, ana
after awhile, 10y refusing to harbor any one
thought, the pictures upon the mind grow
mixed and Kaleidoscope, and then follows
the passivity winch produces comfortable
slumber. TIE experimenter must not grow
weary in thus keeping guard over
the door OF his mind. for few
nights of such picket duty will In
the majority of cases bring splen-
did results. The secret of 1t is not to al
low one thought an instGnts entertain
ment. wish there were some words that
would describe the action of the mind IN
chasing these thoughts. Somebody, some
time, will give the recipe with as much
ease az a good cook tells how her soup Is
made"
The Doctor then added the following ex-
cellent advice: Tell your readers who
suffer from insomnia that while endeayor-
ing 10 keep their minds blank 10 roll the
ewes upward. this being the natural posi-:
ton of the eyes in sleep. This Is one of
the most direct invitations 20 the drowsy
god, and one of the most difficult to de-
cline.D ELEANOR KIRK.