The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-09
CURSE OF INSOMNIA IA! !. :
VIEWS or A RUSSIAN WOMAN WHO
HAS STUDIED TIE svsssdg.

II cd ~ a1xpe8"s ~no AntSootAons
Tn. Inpssxs.s Psrs she Biesd Plays Z,
ss. Matter - sassp.
mine Of information conoerninR
various treatments prescribed Cor vio-
TINS of insomnia 10 contained In new
1 soieptifc work by Marie de Menaccine, |
a Russian woman who has consulted
hundreds Of the highest authorities ON
the subject and who has made many
original experiments. Her work has |
been translatsd into English.
Cold water bags applied to the FORE
head and hot ones to the back Of the |
meek are recommended to produce sleep,
since by their means the blood is driven
from the brain. Hot baths increase the
size of the blood vessels of the skin and
produce the same effect. Another meth
cd of freeing the brain and causing sleep
--one which will be found acceptable
10 every one-is the eating of light
nsupper Just before retiring. The blood
4 in this case Is sent from the brain to the
stomach. where 1t is needed in digestion.
Experiments prove that monotony is
an effective source Of fatigue to the
brain, which organ appears to automat-
ically drain of its blood where fatigued
10 a normal degree. Almost every one
Mas tried the experiment Of counting
4 himself to sleep. Men have been readily
put to sleep by being made to hear wa
ter drop constantly. A watch ticking
under the pillow will produce the same
result until one becomes SO accustomed
TO it's monotony that it Is no longer
i heard. According to the Russian au-
= thority, old time mobiles Of her country
were put to sleep by their servants,
commanded to scratch their heels until
lapse of consciousness occurred. The
lullaby of the American mother pro-
4 duces sleep because Of its monotony.
A Papago Indian recently told the
writer that the native doctors among
his people sit at the bedsides Of the sick
Hand sing monotonous chants. repeated
over and over, throughout the whole
night. No additional treatment beyond
conjuring is applied. Many patients are
doubtless cured, the only virtue Of the
treatment being the relief Of pain and
the nourishment of the system by sleep
u produced by monotony. Repeated rock
4 ing produces sleep, as does repeated
brushing of the hair. Korean mothers
put their infants to sleep by scratching
them monotonously upon their abdo-
mems. Spanish mothers accomplish the
same result by continuously stroking
the spines of their infants. In the last
y two cases sleep is produced not only by
~ monotony, but by the attraction of the
blood to the body by the stimulus Of
touch.
The manipulations Of the hypnotist
tend to fatigue the mind through monot-
ony. The writer has seen subjects hyp-
Noticed while counting their breaths.
sHypnotic sleep. however, like sleep pro-
duced by narcotics. or an@sthetics, in.
lures rather than refreshes the mind as
q rule. Sufferers from insomnia should
never court sleep In q lighted room.
Experiments show that light falling
upon the eyelids causes rush Of blood
to the brain. The head should not be
kept too low, lest gravity produce the
same result -.
Insomnia is found to be characteristic
of persons who blush, laugh or weep
readily and whose pulse is apt to quick
en- upon the slightest provocation. Loss
Of sleep most frequently results from
overwork of either mind or body. Over
strain Of either kind dilates the blood
= vessels Of the brain and eventually par
alyzes them. Extreme cold produces the
same result. Experiments also show
that exercise of the emotions causes
rush of blood to the brain and sleepless-
ness if occurring near bedtime.
There is an interesting theory that
We require sleep in proportion to the
scarcity Of red corpuscles in our blood.
All people, therefore, do not correspond
in their need Of sleep. Many authorities
agree that the degree to which sleep is
needed depends upon the strength OF
consciousness. Children, savages and
idiots readily fall asleep because their
consciousness is i'll developed, and
therefore readily fatigued. Persons OF
strong will power and marked individ-
uality require relatively little sleep 1t
is difficult to overfatigue their con-
seriousness.
Young infants are found to demand
sleep the majority of the hours Of the
day, those up to weeks Of age requir-
Ing 20 hours, the time being gradually
decreased to from ten to eight hours un'
I'll the age Of puberty. During the age
OF puberty more sleep is required. After
puberty from nine to seven hours are
necessary. After complete growth from
eight to SIX, and in middle age even
less, until feebleness begins, when the
sleeping hours should gradually in.
crease. With increased intellectual
growth, however, insomnia naturally
increases even during old age.
loo much sleep Is thought to be
harmful BY some authorities. Since
consciousness requires waking hours fof
development, too much sleep will rob II
ot Its education. During sleep man
grows like vegetable, but his mind
NJ --~4