El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-11
RENE BACHEs BUDGET
WHERE IS YOUR SLEEPER?
PSYCHOLOGISTS ARE TRYING TO ASCERTAIN
ITS EXACT LOCATION
Victims of Sleeplessness Might Find Cure for Their
Trouble if Science Could Get on a Bit Further
With the Researches It Is Making in This In
teresting Subject-Some Things Re
Gently Learned

theory that sleep was caused by the de-
parture of the blood from the brain:
and, on the other hand, that a. flow OF
blood back to the brain would bring
about waking. But the truth seems TO
be Just the other way about. The blood
leaves the brain because sleep has come,
and only waking can recall the tide.
Where Is "The Sleeper?
Surprising this theory to be correct,
what is It that goes to sleep? Where
is the sleeper" in the brain located
What is the process by which uncon-
sciousness supervenes; and how is 1t re-
stored? In other words, what happens
when we wake up?
The answer is that no mystery IN this
world is more absolute. No more is
known about it today that was UNDER
stood 10000 years ago. Yet upon the
phenomena indirectly concerned a good
deal of light has been thrown by recent
investigations particularly in regard to
those interesting and wonderful sleep
experiences which we call dreams.
Why Are Dreams?
What is it that dreams? Why are
such "visions of the night" so ira
tional. so absurd usually, and 50 devoid
of continuity Wherefore, while expert
encing them, does our Judgment seem TO
be so entirely suspended, making the
utmost nonsense appear reasonable2
All of these things are satisfactorily
explained by the latest theory, which is
that our dreaming is done by the right
brain. Each of US possesses two brains,
and the left is the educated one, which
does our thinking for us. The right
brain tat all events, IN right handed
personsl is relatively untaught, and, in
a psychic sense, far down in the scale
of development II has no power of
Judgment, not any moral perception
worth mentioning. Whence our readi-
ness, on occasions, to do things in
dreams from which we would shrink
with horror in our waking moments.
Right Brain Not Right.
Being so much less busy in our wax
inc hours. the right brain needs much
less sleep. While the left brain is dead
to the world, this untutored, secondary.
brute mentality of ours belonging to
the epoch of the earliest cave-dwellers,
perhapsl goes on thinking in its own
feeble and stupid fashion. It's thoughts
are dreams. Sometimes they are very
ugly thoughts, and occasionally even
horTifying. But this creature that is
within displaying during sleep a sort
of Mr.. Hyde to our DR.. Jekyll-does not
know how to put so much as two and
Sponsible for he knows no better---
One of the physiological effects of
approaching sleep is checking of the
flow of waterv secretion from the tear
ducts. This causes a dryness OF the
eyelids. and gives rise to that slight
observation-disclosures which makes children
rub their ewes and say that the sand
man" has come.
Insomnia Very Common.
Insomnia nowadays is a trouble so
common, and in many cases so persist
ent. that an immense deal of study has
been given to it, with a view to devising
means of cure. 1t has been ascertained
that hops contain an alkaloid called
"lIpeline" which is an excellent nerve
soother and sleep-producer Whence the
use OF pillows stuffed with hops for
sleep compelling purposes In pine
needles likewise Is found a somniferous
active principle which is of such recog-
nized value that nillows filled with them
are commonly placed nowadays beneath
the heads of patients in hospitals
Another valuable sleep-maker fur
nished by nature is ozone-a colorless
gas which might be called a concentrated
form of oxygen. There is very little of
it in cities, but sea air is full of it
whence the fact that people at the sea-
shore rarely suffer from insomnia, and
often fall asleep while being wheeled
along the beach IN the chairs they hire
by the hour.
There is no cure for insomnia like an
ocean voyage. But. leaving the sea out
of the question. the next best remedies
for sleeplessness. according to up-to-date
theory, are to admit plenty of fresh air
to the bedroom; to sleep with the head
high; to eat a light supper before going
to bed. and to take a hot bath as a
preliminary, to retiring.
Rene Bache.