The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-01
.IACEPT|ONS OF DREAMS,
Examples Of Disease Preceded BY
Strange Fancies that Come
in Sleep.
The Senses During Slunnber Often
Reflections OF Coming
Trouble.
Impressions Upon h senses Frequently
the Starting Points of What Follows
in Drcamland.

written Tor the HELENA INDErENDENrl
IMPRESSIONS MADE UPON THE
m senses are frequently the starting
II points of dreams. but though all na-
tions have, to q greater or less extent, in
all ages of tho world. believed in the pro-
phetic nature OF dreams, we know now That
the relation, instead OF being ono of pro-
phecy and fulilment, is simply that OF
canse ana effect. Very slight impressions
made upon the senses during sleep ars e1-
epgsrated by the partially awakened BRAN.
The first evidence of approaching paraly-
sis NAV DO a very minute degree OF numb
,ess. 40 minute that the brain, whom awake
and engaged with the busy thoughts OF active
life. fails to appreciate it. During sleep,
howaver the brain is quisscent, till some
srnitinr cause sets in uncomfortable action.
and dreaming results. suoh q cause may
la the incipicnt numbness Of a link. a
dream of its being turned into stone. or
cut off. or violently struck, 10 the conse-
nuence, The disease goes on developing
and soon makes it's presence unmlstakanie.
For several years past I have made IN
entries of patients and others relative to
thar dreams, and have thus collected 9
large amount of material bearing upon the
subject. With reference to the point IN
der consideration. the data in my posses
sion are exceedingly important and inter
estinp. Among the cases which have thus
come under my observation of diseases be-
inc preceded by morbid dreams are the fol-
K Gentleman, two days before an attack
~ hemiplegia, dreamed that ne was cut IL
two exactly down the meslal inc IRON we
chin to the perineuu,. BY some means
nnlon of the two divided surfaces was OBJ
t.insd. but he could only move to one sloe.
On awakening u little n~utnbness existed IN
the side which he had dreamed was pa,rai-
wed. This soon fassed on and ceased 70
engage his attention. The following night
Ia had a somewhat similar dream, and the
mart day. toward evening, was seized with
fra attack which rendered. him hemlpl6Alc.
Another dreamed one night tAet y man
dressed in black and wearing g blaeA masA
came to him and struck Linn violently OH
the leg. He experienced no pam, however,
md tho man continued to beat him. In
the morning he felt nothing, with the eS-
cention of a slight headache. Nothing UNI
nsnal was observed about the leg, and all
went we'll until, on the fifth day, he had
an apoplectlc attack, ccompanled WIFI
harinlaoia. including the leg which he had
IN his dream imagined to have been struck.
Alady aged forty, who had besn u great
~suffarer from rheumatism for many years,
dreamed one afternoon while sitting i'll her
chair in front of the frs that a boy threw
a stone at her, which, striking her on the
face. inflicted a very serious injury. The
ne.t day violent Inflammation of the tbs
sues around the facial nerve as 1t emeEges
from, the stylo-mastoid foralnen set IN and
paralysis Of the nerve followed, due to
efusion Of the serum, thicken1ng, ana con
sequent pressure;
by robbers and compelled to swallow
melted lead. In the morning she felt as
we'll A usual. but toward the middle OF the
day was attacked with severe tonsllitls.
A Young man informed me that a DAY
or two before being attacked with acute
meningitis be had dreamed that he was
seized ebv banditti while travelling in Spain,
and that they had taken his hair out by the
roots, causing him great pain.
A lady of decided good sense had an
epilepxic seizure which was preceded by g
singular dream. She had gone to bed fesl-
ing somewhat faiigued with the labors OF
the day. which had consisted in attending
three or four morning receptions, vindlng
IN with dinner party. She had scarcely
fallen asleep when she dreamed that an old
man clothed in black approached her, hold
ing an iron crown OF great weight IN has
hands. As he came nearer she perceived
that it was her father, who had been dead
several wears, but whose features she dis.
tinctly rscollected. Holding the crown at
arms length he said:
"My daughter, during my lifetime was
forced to wear this crown. Death relieved
me of the burden, but it now descends &c
you."
Saying which he placed the crown on hel
head and disappeared gradually from hel
sight. Immediately she felt a great woigh'
and an intense feeling Of construction in he
head. 10 add to her distress she imagined
that the rim of the crown was studded OF
the inside with sharp points, which
wounded her forehead SO that the bioos
atreamed down her face. She Ewok
with agitation, excited, but feltnothing un
comfortable. Looking at tie clock on tn
mantel-pisce she found that she had bee
in bed exactly thisty-lve minutes. She re
turned to bed and soon fell asleep, but wa
again awakened by II similar dream. 0
this occasion the appErltlon reproached he
FOR not being willing to wear the crowr
She had been in bed this last time ovs
three hours before awaking. Again sh
fell asleep and again at broad daylight sh
was awakened by a like dream.
She now got up, took a bath and pre-
cesded to cress herself with her maids al
s~istance. Recalling the particulars of be
dream she recolleoted that she had heal
her father say one day that in his youtl
while being in England. his native countr
he had been subject to epileptic convu
sions, consequent on a fall from a tree, an
that he had been eurod by having the opsrl
tion of trephining performed by q dlsti
guished London surgeon.
MThough by no neans superstitious, IL
dreams made a deep impression upon he
and her slater entering the room at the tin
she proceeded to detail them to her. VIII
thus engaged she suddenly gave a lol
scream, became unconscious and fell upt
the floor in q true spileptic conyulsio
This paroxysm was not a severe one.
was followed in about a week by anotht
and, strange to say, this was preceded
the other by n dream of her father placi;
IN iron crown on her head and of pain b
ing thereby produced. Since then seve,
months have elapsed and she has had
other attack, owing tc the influence of t.
bromide of potassium which she continu
to take.
In the case of 81 gentleman formerly L
der my treatment for epilepsy tine fits
invariably preceded by dreams of dit1ic
ties of the head, such as decapitatit
hanging, perforation with an aueur, etc.
Alady, previous to an attack of Beiati