The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-20
ITS SOOTHING EFFECT.
Sweet Music in the Treatment CT
Nocturnal Fright.
Nervous Children Made Comfortable
by Melody Before Sleeping.

Without asking readers TO believe In the
legends Of orpheus making tue hills and
Trees dance 10 the sound Of his lutte, OF
Apollo charming wild beasts or of David
soothing King .saups melancholy with
his harp, they have probably heard that
music has a quieting effect on certain
natures. NJ. Tarchsnow,a Russian physi-
clan, who hiss frequently tesn successful
in treating mental disorders by this
melDs, attributes TO it the power OF re-
storing harmony and unison to the ner-
vous system. Ii IL said that neuropathic
patients. and especially epilepiics, derive
great benefit from this treatment when 1t
IL emp!oyed intellisently aud in accor-
0ance With the experimental researches
made by Alfred Warthim, OF Michigan, as
to its effect on the human organism.
shsll merely remind my readers that
he nypuOtized saven patients, five men and
two women, and found that there was
physiological result in them from the
effect of the music, the result offering
according To the style of music played,
the music Of the "Valkyrie," seeming
10 produce Perspirstion, whereas that OF
"Isnnhaeussr" had narcotic effect and
produced sleep!
The iutiuenco Of music on the nervous
system has to be studied from different
points of visw,so as to ascertain not only
the diseases To which Il Is suitable IS a
treatment, but the quantity and quality
to he used; ia other woros, It's therapeutic
cal dose mas to be determined.
The favorable results obtained from
orders led To its being tried as therspeu-
tical means in curing the peculiar condi-
tion occurring in children ana called
nocturnal fright.
ibis symptom generally occurs at The
beginning Of the night. A snort time
after falling asleep the child starts up,
screams and calls its parents, who ind it
sitting up in bed, its forehead covered
with perspiration, crying, screaming and
wrinsing it1 hands. Its features manifest
the grestest terror, it sppear to oe un-
conscious of verytbing around it, rscog-
nizes no one, and seems under the in
tiuence Of ballucination thar terrihes it.
II sees dog, cat, black man or phsu
tom in the bed.
Nothing will quiet the child, who weeps
and sobs for fifteen to twenty minutes.
Finally, cslm returns, little by little 1t re-
cognizes tl.e faces about it, but begs them
not 10 go away nor carry of the light,
and ultimately falls asleep sgain, not to
be disturbed until morning. Sometimes
the same scene recurs on the following
evenings, but under ordinary circum-
stances 1t Only reappears after certain
interval.
In most cases this ia blssu is without
nervousness that is always TO be re-
gretted.
On account of the unreIisbility of the
thcrapeutical means In use for this dis
order, NJ. Bestchinsky has recently tried
the effect of music on case he had to
treat.
A child of three was suddenly seized
with trembling in the middle of The
night; her eye, wers wide open and re-
nlained so, while from time to time she
muttered an uDinteiligble sentence. In
spite OF the administration Of bromide of
sodium the attacks did not cease, but re-
CURED every night. M. BestchiDsky then
had recourse to music, @ DOSING piece OF
a melspcholy nature.
Under the influence OF waltz in &
minor, by Chopin, played every evening
before bedtime. tho child slept quietly
without waxing. On one OCCASION she
was put to bed without music, at NJ.
Bestchinsky's request, to make sure OF
the real effect of the music and an attack
occurred, though less severe than before;
the following day the music was resumed
and no more attacks occurred.
The seances were gradually given up
and after a mouth were stopped alto
gethsr, as there ther appeared to be no
further risk Of an attack, and, in fact,
the child he'd no more night attacks.
Ministry to the Sick.