The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-17
SAVANTS ADMIT THEY
CANNOT DEFINE SLEEP
Effective Cure for Sleeplessness
Still Remains to Be
Discovered.
CAUSES ARE INNUMERABLE
Individual Treatment Necessary
for Each Consolidating
in Bed Condemned.
ARE INNUMERABLE
Special co-respord,nce 10 rur sr~


BERLIN, May THE German Society
for Internal Medlc has been discussing
at this years congress In wlesbaden the
character and treatment OF sleeplessncss
Before the question What Is sieep?" tho
various experts who presented papers all
confessed their ignorance. Ingenious sug.
gestions have been made without number
but not one has been able TO stand out
against close examination and the medical
world In In the end as ignorant "a ever
Little more can be said than that sleep
IL phenomenon OF vital necessity; ex-
pertinent has shown that dogs die sooner
when deprived Of sleep than when de.
prived OF food. Another unrecognized fact
Is the varying intensity OF sleep.
There is not only the difference between
light and heavy sleeper; II has been
proved conclusively that the first hours OF
sleep are deeper than the rest and that
with the length the tendency TO wake at
any noise Increases From this follows
the recuperative value OF the few first
hours or deep sleep and the explanation
why men OF great energy like Napoleon.
Frederick the Great and Virchow were
completely satisfied with a sleep OF from
three TO four hours
Reference was made 10 the well married
division between the morning and evening
worker The one after short. deep sleep
rises UP fresh and ready for work. Tho
other Is tired and weak In the morning,
grows more active In the course OF the daV,
stays up late and goes to sleep with din
Guilty. This, too. IL the type OF the ner-
vous man, who Is generally most capable
for work nj night, and of the "rnelan-
choliker." who IL gloomy and bad tenn
pered In the morning and happy only 40
the day draws on.
Remedies for sIeepIessness.
The main conclusion OF the congress Is
not very consollng for those In sharch
of ready made cure for sleeplessness.
The causes OF sleeplessness, Il was
decided. are almost innumerable and an
enectual remedy can only be found when
each case IL treated individually In the
majority or cases. II was recognized, tina
cause is nervous one II IL best met by
hygenic measures--by n sensible reg,ila-
ton OF the daily life. by the removal or
all possibilities OF irritation and by
hypnotic treatment
sleep during the day, II was said has
often very harmful effect on sleep at
night: In any case II should he short.
Mountain or sea air In often deieterious
owing to the unaccustomed strain placed
upon the heart Mild warmth and often a
long, hot bath are OF assistance.
Sleeplessness, II was said. Is often the
result OF bad habits" such as the elab-
crate toilet practised by many women be-
fore going to bed. Reading in bed. II was
admitted. may occasionally be OF assist
ance. but In general II was condemned
Patients who go to sleep easily but wake
up almost Mt once are suffering. Il was
said. from digestive troubles and can gen.
orally be cured through change In diet ,
"Airbnths" Urged as Cures.
Very often a sleepy patient is startled
into complete wakefulness oy the very
Idea that he may not sleep. and the ner
vous are generally kept awake through
excessive fear or sleaplessness In such
cases 1t Is important that the will should
be trained. or that IL should at least be
assisted by suggestion. One doctor
strongly advised "airbaths'' shortly be.
fore going to bed. and said that much
could be done by uncovering part OF the
body while In bed
The use OF drugs It was agreed. should
be limited as much as possible. In any
case they should be taken I'm extremely
small doses In order that their effect
should last only during the actual process
OF going to sleep. Narcotics, such ~
ch'oroform and ether. were condemned
as being too short In their action, besides
having various injurious effects.
Three groups Of drugs were dlstir-
guished. The first Is characterized by
the presence Of chlorin. Its main ex-
ample Is the we'll known hydrochlorate.
Unfortunately this drug has bad effect
on the heart and breathing and can bs
dangerous TO consumptives ana those SUI
fering from weak heart. Further arc
'paraldehyd" and "amylenhydrate." which
are very effeotual, but taste and smell I'M
pleasant, besides having undesirable ef.
fects OF other kinds.
Preferable to these are the second group,
marked particularly by the quantity OF
nitrogen they contain, Their best repre-
sentatives are veronal and luminal. In
large quantities they too are injurious
since they are difficult to digest.
Finally there is the group containing
sulphur. such as suffonal. trional and
others. These. In their turn. easily pro-
duce kidney troubles and require careful
medical watching. One doctor spoke OF
the results obtained through the inocua-
ton with "strophantln' In the case OF
patients with weak hearts. Another ad-
vised the use of small doses OF alcohol
But It II clear. from the Congress OF
Medicine. that the golden road to sleep
has yet to be discovered