Neurypnology Chapter III

Neurypnology Chapter III

I CONSIDER it unnecessary, in this treatise, to enter into a detailed account of the ordinary phenomena of sleep, dreaming, and somnambulism, as contrasted , with the waking state. Suffice it to say, the waking condition is that of mental and bodily activity, during which we are enabled to hold communion with the external world, by perceiving the ordinary impressions of appropriate stimuli through the organs of special sense, and of exercising the power of voluntary motion, and the mental functions generally. The state of profound sleep is exactly the reverse of this - a state of absolute unconsciousness of all that is going on around, and suspension of voluntary motion, and intellectual activity. In as far as regards the organs of special sense, and voluntary motion, and a temporary suspension of the mental energies, it is the emblem of death. Between these extreme points there are gradual transitions, so that there are all possible varieties of condition imaginable, from the highest state of mental and bodily activity, to absolute torpor of both. There are two conditions, however, to which I may briefly advert - that of dreaming and of somnambulism. In the former, there are some of the mental and bodily functions in a state of partial activity, but, from the sensations arising from external stimuli being perceived very imperfectly, erroneous impressions are conveyed to the mind ; and, as happens in some cases of insanity, the power of controlling the current of thought being absent, one idea excites another, until the most incongruous combinations are produced in many instances. Somnambulism, properly so called, is a state still more nearly allied to the waking condition than dreaming. The mental functions are more awake, a more just estimate of external impressions can be formed, and there is the power of voluntary motion present in a remarkable degree. Persons in this state are thus capable of being directed by those around, into certain trains of thought and action. The principal difference between the natural somnambulists, and those who become so through hypnotising in the manner pointed out in this treatise, is the greater tendency of the latter to lapse into a state of profound sleep, unless prevented by being roused and directed by those present. Natural somnambulists seem to be impelled to certain trains of action by internal impulses ; but, so far as I have seen, the artificial somnambulists have an inclination to remain at absolute rest, unless excited to action by some impression from without. In compliance with such excitement, however, they evince great acuteness and docility. There is also another remarkable difference. It is stated, that although natural somnambulists cannot remember, when awake, what they were engaged in when asleep, they have a vivid recollection of it when in that state again ; but I have found no parallel to this in the somnambulism induced by hypnotism.

By this I mean that they cannot explain what happened during the former somnambulic state, but they may approximate to the words and actions which had formerly manifested themselves, provided they are placed under exactly similar circumstances. For the extent to which peculiar manifestations may be brought out by manipulating the head and face, at a certain stage of hypnotism, see NEURYPNOLOGY CHAPTER VI, where examples are given of memory as regarded events which happened during the waking condition, whilst they seemed to have no recollection of what happened during a former state of hypnotism. As to the causes of common sleep, I may remark, that, by the exercise of the mental operations, and the impressions conveyed through the organs of special sense, muscular effort, and the discharge of other animal functions, the brain becomes exhausted, and ceases to be affected by ordinary stimuli, and lapses into that dormant state we call sleep. During this condition it becomes recruited, and fitted for again receiving its wonted impressions through the organs of sense, and of holding intercourse with external nature, and exercising those powers of voluntary motion and mental function peculiar to the waking condition. It will be generally admitted, that the most refreshing, and therefore the most natural sleep, accompanies that condition or languor which follows the moderate exercise or fatigue of all the bodily and mental functions, rather than an undue exercise of one or more to the neglect of the others. It is long since it was observed that inordinate attention to one subject caused dreaming, instead of sound sleep. It will also be found that the absolute length of time during which any function may be exercised, depends very much on the continuity of its exertion, or its alternation with that of other functions ; thus the mind may become confused and bewildered by continuing one particular study for a length of time, but may be able to return to it with energy and advantage, and prosecute the subject longer on the whole, by varying it with study of a different nature; moreover, bodily disease, and even insanity, frequently arises from following the mind to be occupied inordinately by one particular object or pursuit, whether that may be religion politics, avarice, schemes of ambition, or any other passion, emotion, or object of unvaried contemplation. In like manner, continued and over-intense muscular effort very soon exhausts the power of the muscles so exercised or over-exerted ; and by keeping the eyes steadily and constantly exercised by gazing on a coloured spot, they soon cease to be able to discern the boundaries of the respective colours, (Muller) and ultimately seem scarcely to be capable of distinguishing the spot at all. The same might be proved of the other senses. In fine, alternate action and repose is the law of animated nature. [Footnote: This subject is beautifully illustrated by Muller, at page 14I0, Vol. II. (Baly's translation) which I now quote: 'The excitement of the organic processes in the brain which attends an active state of the mind, gradually renders that organ incapable of maintaining the mental action, and thus induces sleep ; which is to the brain what bodily fatigue is to other parts of the nervous system. The cessation or remission of mental activity during sleep, in its turn, however, affords an opportunity for the restoration of integrity to the organic conditions of the cerebrum, by which they regain their excitability. The brain, whose action is essential to the manifestation of mind, obeys, in fact, the general law which prevails over all organic phenomena - that the phenomena of life being particular states induced in the organic structures, are attended with changes in the constituent matter of these structures. Hence, the longer the action of the mind is continued, the more incapable does the brain become of supporting that action, and the more imperfectly are the mental processes performed, until at length sensations cease to be perceived, notwithstanding the impressions of external stimuli continue. This is entirely analogous to what frequently occurs during the waking state, in the case of individual sensations'.

I must beg leave to take one exception to the correctness of these remarks, and that is, moderate exercise, I consider, instead of exhausting, seems rather to act as a salutary stimulus, and thus strengthens both organ and function. He then goes on to state, most lucidly and fairly, 'Nor merely the action of the mind, but the long continued exertion of other functions of animal life, such as the senses or muscular actions, induces the same exhaustion of the organic states of the brain, and thereby want of sleep and sleep itself ; for these different systems of the body participate in the change which the organic condition of any one of them may undergo. Lastly, impairment of the normal organic state of the brain, by the circulation through it of blood charged with imperfectly assimilated nutriment, as after full meals in which spirituous drinks have been taken, also induces sleep. The narcotic medicaments act still more strongly by the change they produce in the organic composition of the sensorium. Even the increased pressure of the blood upon the brain, produced by the horizontal posture, may become the cause of sleep'. Here then is the opinion of this author in a few words. The exercise of function is attended with a change, deterioration, or wasting of the organic structure at a more rapid rate than can be repaired by the slow, but regular and persistent organic renovation continually going on in the whole system. A cessation of sentient, and mental, and muscular functions, therefore, as happens in sleep, becomes necessary to afford time for the renovation of the deteriorated organic structures of the respective organs, and of the brain in particular, which, in so eminent a degree, sympathises and participates in the organic changes which have been induced in other organs. Liebig's views seem confirmatory of this, where he points out the fact, that the chemical principles of those substances which act most energetically on the brain and nerves have a composition analogous to that of the substance of the brain and nerves, as in the case of the vegetable alkaloids. He believes that all the active principles which produce powerfully poisonous or medicinal effects, in minute doses, are compounds of nitrogen ; and that those compounds, being resolved into their elements, take a share in the formation, or transformation, of brain and nervous matter. It is on this very principle, of over-exerting the attention, by keeping it riveted to one subject or idea which is not of itself of an exciting nature, and, over-exercising one set of muscles, and the state of the strained eyes, with the suppressed respiration, and general repose, which attend such experiments, which excites in the brain and whole nervous system that peculiar state which I call Hypnotism, or nervous sleep. The most striking proofs that it is different from common sleep, are the extraordinary effects produced by it. In deep abstraction of mind, it is well known, the individual becomes unconscious of surrounding objects, and in some cases, even of severe bodily infliction. During hypnotism, or nervous sleep, the functions in action seem to be so intensely active, as must in a great measure rob the others of that degree of nervous energy necessary for exciting their sensibility. This alone may account for much of the duIness of common feeling during the abnormal quickness and extended range of action of certain other functions. [Footnote: It was certainly presuming very much on the ignorance of others for any one to attempt so to pervert the meaning of an author, as to twist what M'Nish has written on the article 'Reverie', and represent it as the basis of my theory. How does M'Nish define it? 'Reverie', he says, 'proceeds from an unusual quiescence of the brain, and inability of the mind to direct itself strongly to any one point ; it is often the prelude of sleep. There is a defect in the attention which, instead of being fixed on one subject, wanders over a thousand, and even on these is feebly and ineffectively directed'. Now this, as everyone must own, is the very reverse of what is induced by my plan, because I rivet the attention to one idea, and the eyes to one point, as the primary dud imperative conditions. Then, as to another passage, 'That kind of reverie in which the mind is nearly divested of all ideas, and approximates nearly to the state of sleep, I have sometimes experienced while gazing long and intently upon a river. The thoughts seem to glide away, one by one, upon the surface of the stream, till the mind is emptied of them altogether. In this state we see the glassy volume of the water moving past us, and hear its murmur, but lose all power of fixing our attention definitively upon any subject ; and either fall asleep, or are aroused by some spontaneous reaction of the mind, or by some appeal to the senses sufficiently strong to startle us from our reverie'. Now, I should have read this passage a thousand times without discovering any analogy between it and my theoretical views. They appear to me to be 'wide as the poles asunder'. Instead of ridding the mind of ideas 'one by one, till the mind is emptied of them altogether,' I endeavour to rid the mind at once of all ideas but one, and to fixthat one in the mind even after passing into the hypnotic state. This is very different from what happens in the reverie referred to, in which M'Nish confesses the difficulty 'of fixing our attention definitively upon any subject'. Again, so far from a reaction of the mind being sufficient to rouse patients from the hypnotic state, as in the reverie referred to, I can only state, that I have never seen patients deeply affected come out of it without assistance ; and I heard Lafontaine say, he had been unable to restore the Frenchman who was with him for twelve hours on one occasion, when a surgeon operated on him ; and I have read the report of another, who operated on a patient at Stockport, 'Charlie', according to my method, and, from having allowed him to go too far, experienced no small difficulty in rousing him, nor could he be restored to speech after much manipulation, and buffeting, and friction, till he had swallowed nearly half a tumbler glass of neat gin. To prevent misrepresentation, I shall quote the case as reported in the Stockport Chronicle of 4th February, 1842 - 'To the final instance the lecturer now drew particular attention. It was that of a young man, recognised by many in the room by the familiar name of 'Charlie'. He was just entering upon the state of somnolence, and the attention of the audience was directed to the fact, that it was so indicated, by the different members becoming rigid. Presently his eyelids closed, and he became as though apparently under the influence of catalepsy. It was tried to make him sit down, but his whole frame was perfectly rigid, and that object could not therefore be accomplished. He was then laid on the floor, and the usual means, with cold water added, were employed in order to bring him to a state of consciousness. After a time these partially succeeded, his limbs became once more supple, and he was set in a chair, apparently conscious, though his eyelids were not yet open. He was several times requested to open them, and as often made the most vigorous efforts to do so, but was unable ; at last they were opened, and it was discovered that the operation had so far influenced the entire functions of his body, that he had for a time lost the power of utterance, the muscles of the throat and tongue still remaining in a state of the most perfect rigidity. In this state, and being affected by a tremor which seized every part of his person, the patient was conducted into an ante-room, and placed before a fire, while the operator continued to rub the parts, in order to excite them to renewed action, dud to restore animation. All this, however, had not the desired effect for some time, during which the patient evinced feelings of considerable surprise at his condition ; but nevertheless was exceedingly lively, and made several efforts to speak, but could not. At last half a tumbler glass of neat gin was brought, the greater portion of which he drank off, and this partially restored the power of utterance, for he was afterwards able to articulate a little, and asked, though only in a whisper, for his hat ; and also requested that some water might be mixed with the remaining portion of the gin. He complained also of a sense of excessive fuIness of the stomach ; and said, in answer to inquiries, that although not feeling cold, he was yet unable to resist the tremor which had seized him'.]

Was not this a beautiful illustration of the facility with which patients might be roused from this condition 'by a reaction of the mind'? Nor was this the only Case that evening, in which great difficulty had been experienced in rousing patients from the hypnotic state. The untoward result referred to in the note above, I have no doubt, was the effect of permitting the experiment to be carried too far. No such consequence has ever followed in any of my operations, and for this reason, that I have always watched each case with close attention, and aroused the patient the moment I saw the slightest symptom of danger. I shall, therefore, now point out the symptoms of danger, with the mode of arousing patients, and thus preventing mischief which might ensue from want of due caution in the operator. Whenever I observe the breathing very much oppressed, the face greatly flushed, the rigidity excessive, or the action of the heart very quick and tumultuous, I instantly arouse the patient, which I have always readily and speedily succeeded in doing by a clap of the hands, an abrupt shock on the arm or leg by striking them sharply with the flat hand, pressure and friction over the eyelids, and by a current of air wafted against the face. I have never failed by these means to restore my patients very speedily.

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