The suburban citizen., 1901-03-09
APE OF pEArH.U
Ihs Cause of Sleep and the Cure Of
tsleeplessness.

The Cause of Sleep and the Cure OF
tsleeplessness.
haye been perusing a learned and
highly interesting lecture by Sir James
Sawyer, M. d., on a topic which pos
sesses deep interest for all physl-
ologists and for most other folks as
WE'LL mean that of sleep and sleep
lessness. The average mortal scarcely
comprehends how little we really
know about the exact nature of the
APE of Death" as Shakespeare terms
that state wherein we pass peacefully
into the Land of Nod. 1t is not only
the cause Of sleep which constitutes a
scientific puzzle; the cure Of sleepless-
ness Is another matter which doubles
difficulty that before was single. There
is no doubt that a sleeping brain re-
ceives less blood than a waking one.
Durham's observations settled that
point long ago, and subsequent observ-
ers inclined to this idea that they had
explained what sleep is when they had
assorted the anaemlc state Of the brain
as its real cause. But it is obvious that
while our brain increases its blood sup
ply when we wake, as conversely 1t
diminishes that supply when we go to
sleep, these facts do not lead us to the
vera causa at all. They are conditions
merely, and not causes. The move
ments of door are not to be explained
by saying that it moves on its hinges.
What we desire to know is what sets
the door in motion. And so with
sleep. Beyond this question of the
brains blood supply we have to face
that Of the brains constitution. 1t is
only by dipping into the brains struc.
ture that we are able to gain some
adequate idea regarding the real con-
ditions that regulate the opening and
the shutting of the mental door.
When brain cells are carefully
studied in their different phases of
activity and repose they are seen to
undergo certain remarkable changes
In shape. The processes or branches
through which contact is made be-
tween one cell and another are seen to
be retracted in the resting state while
in activity they are extended. How
ever, the changes in question are
brought about we may conclude that
1t is the switching off Of the brain
cells from each other and the breaking
Of the contacts necessary for the car
rying on Of their work which repre-
sents the true cause Of sleep. Fatigue
Of the brain cell is thus the dominant
note of Tepose, and the mechanism
whereby that repose is secured is seen
at work in the retractiOn of their
branches. 1t is all just like a tele-
phone exchange in this respect, where
we find contracts made and broken
continually IN the active work of the
centre. At night the connections are
practically severed, and such as may
be made in the case of the brain ex-
change carrying on the work Of dream
ing, they represent the work of the
night shift Of the brain. If this view
of sleep be correct, we see more clear
ly than ever that our resting period
must represeI a habit just as sleep
lessness in its essence is q habit Of
another kind. We break into the cycle
Of sleep when we suffer from insomnia
and substitute another habit for that
of repose. What our doctors do for us
is to negative the vicious habit by re-
placing that Of sleep, but hlc labor, hoe
opus est With SanchO Panza, in
truth, we may well agree when he ex-
claims God bless the man that first
invented sleepw-Dr. Andrew Wilson,
in the London Chronicle.