624 DREAMING. 



complete repose of the brain, and may cause dreaming. Like 

 delirium, dreaming may arise from the opposite of stimulation, 

 from the want of due stimulation, as from want of food, or want of 

 stimuli rendered necessary by habit. In dreaming there will be 

 all degrees and extent of excitement, just beyond perfect re- 

 pose or sound sleep, and just short of the waking state. 



From the great irritability of children, shown by the facility 

 with which they have convulsions and inflammation, they dream 

 much; and their dreams are more frequently frightful than those 

 of adults. Old people, from the lightness of their sleep, also 

 dream much. 



From the renewed power and irritability of the brain we dream 

 much more as the period for waking approaches/ 



The greater the development of a particular part of the brain, 

 and the greater its natural or acquired irritability, the more liable 

 will it than other parts of the brain be to dream ; and for the 

 same reason dreams partake of the individual's character, and, as 

 old people remember the events of their early life the best, they 

 dream most of these, while young persons dream of recent things. 8 

 There are however exceptions to this. The natural character of 

 the insane generally continues in their disease, but sometimes is 

 quite altered : and dreams may occur in which the tone of the 

 feelings may differ from that of the waking state. The dreams of 

 drunkenness and under the influence of narcotics are the most 

 extravagant. 1 



A curious circumstance is the direction given to dreams by the 

 character of the exciting cause. When they arise from uneasy 

 sensations, they are disagreeable ; and I may remark that, if the 

 cause of dreams is disagreeable, all the feelings excited will be ex- 

 cited disagreeably, and the images will be disagreeable. Even a 

 strange bed, though soft and warm, may make us dream simply 

 because it is not that to which we have been accustomed. If 

 there is any discomfort, mental or physical, sleep may be inter- 

 rupted the moment after it has begun by a sudden, and perhaps 

 violent, start, or by a sensation of a blow or push, or of a loud noise : 



^ r ; 



r Lord Brougham contends that we dream only during the " transition into 

 and out of sleep." (I.e. p. 117.) This opinion is disproved by watching per- 

 sons in sleep and observing them toss about and mutter, evidently dreaming, 

 though their sleep continues. 



8 Dr. Macnish, 1. c. p. 82. l Ibid. 1. c. p, 95. 



