Conjectures on the prox'nnate Cause of Sleep. 327 



If this theory will account for some disorders, it may also be 

 serviceable in indicating remedies, and it may possibly instruct us 

 that in may cases, and perhaps in most, the best opiate that can 

 be administered is natural and comfortable nutriment, which, by 

 instigating the process of assimilation, may bring on the most 



'profound and healthful slumbers. In some cases, a great loss of 

 blood is followed by restlessness and total deprivation of sleep, 

 accompanied by delirium. It is evident that these symptoms 

 originate in the want of a sufficient quantity of blood to deposit 

 the mitritive particles where most required in tlie frame, and 

 particularly in the encephalon. To lessen that quantity, with a 

 view of diminishing the apparent feverishness, would, under such 

 circumstances, be death to the patient ; but the opposite system 

 of administering the comforts of wine and animal juices, and thus 

 contributing to the increase of the blood, must have the most 

 beneficial operation, by inducing the assimilating process, the 

 consequent sleep, and all the cordial and concurrent effects of 

 their powerful agency. 



I should not have hazarded these latter observations, so little 

 within my province, but that thev were suggested by facts har- 

 monizing with and supporting tlie hypothesis of sleep which I 

 have ventured to propose — and if that hypothesis shall ever be 

 verified, the application I have made of these facts cainiot fail to 

 be useful. I am therefore unwilling that these views should be 

 lost, and I am not so confident of their importance as to imagine 

 they will speedily occur to another. With respect to the theory 

 of dreaming advanced bv Doctors Gall and Spurzheim, it is but 

 one instance out of numberless others, in which their system will 

 be found on investigation to correspond at every point with na- 

 ture and truth ; and if we are satisfied that they are right even 

 in this one instance, we shall not be eager to reject the remain- 

 der of their singular doctrines, without affording them at least 

 the advantage of an equitable, candid, and dispassionate examina- 

 tion. 



The preceding arguments have been by some tliought incon- 

 clusive, because no proof has been advanced, tliat during dreams 

 the brain is partly asleep and j^artly awake. It is true this has 

 not been directly attempted, for in the nature of tilings such an 

 enterprise could not prove very successful. .'\ll that I considered 



.requisite in tiie question, I trust I have accomplished, in showing 

 the inade(]uacy and imperfection of the several theories which 

 were most highly approved of, before the pronuilgation of Doctors 

 Gall and Spur/.heim'.s opinions ; and that tliesu philosophers have 

 succeeded where their j^rcdecessors had failed, in explaining with 

 precision and clearness all that was difficult or obscure in these 

 perplexing plisenonicna. It was scarcely to be expected that I 



X 4 should 



