The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-12-06
THE BRAIN IN SLEEP.
INTERNAL AND EsTERNAL CAUSES
THAT PRODUCE DREAMS.

The Influence on the Nerves ~ the
Stomach and the Food That IL Con-
taias-Event. THAT Occur In n Frae-
tfon OF a Second.
Dreams are generally & repetition OF
thoughts unguIded by reason Those
caused by internal action or brought
about by action within the body are
due entirely to the action and state OF
the stomach. which In turn Is affected
By the quantity and quality OF food
consumed.
The frst ends or feelers OF the nerves
are located IN the walls OF the ston-
aeh, and as the food Is digested they
draw up the nourishment and distrib-
ute Il throughout the nervous system
10 replace the waste that has taken
place during the day. II the stomach
be surcharged with an abundance OF
heating food. too much nourishment Is
forced upon the brain. causing an alb
normal fIling OF the chanRels. thereby
expanding them. bringing them In
touch with others and causing the mat
ter from one to overflow into or 10 mix
with the fuld OF neighboring channels
Whenever the duid traverses q chan
nel more or less forcibly the thought
which originated that passage Il re-
produced more or less vividly; hence
lnsures the general mixing up OF
thoughts which originally had 10 con-
nection with each other.
An overloaded stomach also causes
a fiow OF blood to the brain. sent there
by nature to assist In assimilating the
extra nourishment. and the overcharg-
ed blood vessels. pressing upon the
nerve channels near the brain, cause
even more turbulent disturbances. This
accounts for the advice OF so many
medical mer that no considerable
quantity. especially Of animal food,
should be taken Immediately before
bedtime. The crossing. recrossing and
touching OF these thought channels
brought about In this way produce the
absurd mixtures OF faneles that often
come to US when we sleep.
The stomach, too. Is a min which
keeps on forever grinding. the walls
acting as the grindstones. When.
therefore. there Is nothing between
them. or, In other words. when the
stomach Is empty. one wall grinds up
on the other. causing an Irritation OF
the nerves which produces that pecul-
lar sensation OF failing from some
great height.
To understand how external action
viii affect the dream Of a sleeper Il
must be borne In mind that those
dreams which seem to take hours. and
even days, IN passing really occupy but
a minute fraction OF a second. III.
therefore. we are awakened by some
loud. strident noise. say by the crack
Ing OF a whip. then between the time
that the sound strikes the ear while
we are yet asleep and the time that
we are fully awake to realize what has
caused the sound few moments only
have elapsed. but those few moments
were sufficient to allow Of a dream Of
apparently several hours Duration
As an example: A milkman. driving
up beneath an open bedroom window.
cracks his whip smartly. Immediate
ly the thought produced by the sound
causes a dream. The sleeper lmagines
himself a soldier who has fallen into
the hands OF the enemy. He is led out
to be shot He sta 1ds blindfOlded, with
hands tied. before the platoon Of sol
diers- He hears the click. click. click
as the rifles are cooked He hears the
word given. and the noise OF the volley
rings out on his ears. Then he awakes
with start, to hear the rumble OF the
milkman's wagon as be cracked his
whip and drove OF over some rough
cobblestones.
A blow. cut or a sensation OF pain
viii operate in the same way and
waken certain channels OF thought
connected with pain Just as the noise
awoke those connected with sound.
For instance. a sleeper dreams that
he is closed up In some close travelling
carriage and is being driven rapidly OF
In an unknown direction by a man who
has designs upon his purse and life.
He tries to shout, In vain he struggles
TO get free and In the tussle drives an
arm through the glass window Of the
carriage. The hand Is cut and bleed
ing II smarts fearfully. and be
awakes 10 find that In bis sleep be had
sareIessly thrown out an arm. and bis
hand has smashed some fine medicine
glass on stand by the bedside. The
whole dream passed between the time
that the hand first struck the glass,
creating the sensation OF pain. and the
moment that the sleeper awoke to real
lie the fact.-Chicago Record.
A Wsman's Compliment.