Chapter I: The Nature and Cause of Sleep

Definition of sleep--The invasion of sleep--The hypnagogic
state--Depth and duration of sleep--Diagrammatic
illustration of the phases of sleep--Modifications of
physiological functions produced by sleep--Effect of sleep
upon the processes of respiration, circulation,
calorification, secretion, and nutrition--Consequences of
the progressive invasion of the nervous system by sleep--
Effect upon the organs of special sense--Effects observed
in the muscular apparatus of the body--Condition of
intellectual functions during the invasion of sleep--Does
the mind ever sleep?--Arguments adduced by Sir William
Hamilton and others to prove the continued activity of the
mind during the sleep of the brain--Reasons for supposing
that the mind may sleep--Variability of the depth of
sleep--Experiments of Kohlshüter to estimate the degree of
variation--Alternation of day and night considered as a
cause of sleep--Diminution of sensation a cause of sleep--
Illustrative observation by Strümpell--Fatigue a cause of
sleep--Hypothesis of Obersteiner regarding the cause of
sleep--Hypothesis of Pflüger--Production of artificial
sleep by impregnation of the brain with narcotic
substances--Analogous production of natural sleep by
accumulation of cerebral waste-products--Observations
regarding the duration of sensory impressions requisite for
the excitement of conscious perception--Difference between
syncope and sleep--Observations of Mosso regarding the
state of the cerebral circulation during sleep--Cause of
the change in the cerebral circulation during sleep--
Molecular conditions necessary for the production of
sleep--Somnolence--Sleeping Dropsy, or Maladie du Sommeil--
Coma--Lethargy--Apparent death--Lucid lethargy. 1

CHAPTER II. INSOMNIA, OR WAKEFULNESS.

Causes of insomnia--Affections of the organs of special
sense--Effects of light--Effect of sound--Impressions upon
the organs of smell and taste--Disturbances caused by a
high temperature--Atmospheric and electrical disturbances--
Effects produced by cold--Hibernation of animals--
Disturbances of sleep occasioned by painful sensations--
Disorders of the sympathetic nerves--Morbid states of the
central nervous organs--Disorders of circulation and
nutrition--Hyperæmia of the brain--Anæmia and starvation of
the brain--Effects of tea and coffee--Effect of alcohol--
Inflammations, degenerations, and tumors affecting the
brain--Excitement of the brain by diseased conditions of
the blood. 38

CHAPTER III. REMEDIES FOR INSOMNIA.

Serious consequences of insomnia--Its relation to cerebral
diseases--Treatment of insomnia by moderation and control
of the cerebral circulation--Remedial agents--Nervous
stimulants and nervous sedatives--Heat--Baths--Massage--
Electricity--Counter-irritants--Food--Digitalis--Camphor--
Musk--Valerian--Cannabis indica--Belladonna--Hyoscyamus--
Stramonium--Phosphorus--Acids--Opium--Cold--Alcohol--
Paraldehyde--Ether--Chloroform--Chloral--Butylchloral
hydrate--Amyl nitrite--Opium and opiates--Bromides--Hops--
Gelsemium--Conium. 56

CHAPTER IV. TREATMENT OF INSOMNIA IN PARTICULAR DISEASES.

Insomnia in acute affections of the brain--In insanity--In
chronic alcoholism and delirium tremens--In diseases of the
heart and blood-vessels--In angina pectoris--In diseases of
the respiratory organs--In asthma--In renal diseases--In
diseases of the liver--In gastro-intestinal diseases--In
febrile conditions--In rheumatism and gout--In lithæmia--In
syphilis--In disorders of nutrition--During pregnancy and
after parturition--In spasmodic diseases--In childhood--In
old age. 92

CHAPTER V. DREAMS.

Physiology of perception and of dreaming--Definition of the
act of dreaming--Revery--Production of illusions and
hallucinations by drugs and by disease--Effects of
hasheesh--Effects of acute disease--Association of
ideas--Memory of past sensations--Dreams produced by
excitement of the different organs of sense--Persistence of
dream-impressions after waking--Experience of M.
Baillarger--Of Professor Jessen--Belief of savages in the
reality of dreams--Sensory dreams--Intellectual dreams--
Repetition of dreams--Incoherence of dreams--Cause of the
superior vividness of certain dreams--Duration of dreams--
Dreams excited by morbid states of the body--Prophetic
dreams--Their causes--Clairvoyant dreams--Hallucinatory
dreams--Sir Edmund Hornby’s experience--Hallucinations--
Case related by Dr. E. H. Clarke--Revelation through
dreams--Revival of memory in dreams. 116

CHAPTER VI. SOMNAMBULISM.

Causes of somnambulism--Physiology of somnambulism--
Varieties of the disorder--Maury’s classification--
Classification of Ball and Chambard--Diagrammatic
representation of their classification--Somnambulic
lethargy--Illustrative cases--Somnambulic dreams--Night
terrors--Somnolentia or sleep-drunkenness--Sleep-walking--
Illustrative cases--Condition of the special senses in
somnambulism--Relation of memory to the somnambulic
paroxysm--Illustrative cases--Occasional recollection of
incidents connected with the somnambulic dream--
Resemblances between the somnambulic state and the
condition of post-epileptic mania--Somnambulic visions--J.
P. Frank’s case--Mesnet’s case--Somnambulic life--Its
likeness with the double-consciousness of certain forms of
epilepsy--Illustrative cases--General theory of
somnambulism. 166

CHAPTER VII. ARTIFICIAL SOMNAMBULISM OR HYPNOTISM.

Antiquity of the phenomena of hypnotism--Modern
observations--Physical conditions favorable to the
phenomena--Methods of inducing the hypnotic state--Duration
of hypnotic sleep--Rudimentary states of hypnotism--
Investigations of the Society for Psychical Research--
Mind-reading--Physiological explanation of the process--
Charcot’s observations on artificial somnambulism--
Cataleptic variety of the hypnotic state--Lethargic
variety--Somnambulic variety--Hypnotic clairvoyance--
Exalted sensibility of the brain in hypnotic states--
Susceptibility to suggestions from without--Phenomena of
so-called spiritualism--Table-rapping--Planchette--
Therapeutical employment of hypnotism--Metaphysical healing. 212