That sleep is not at the command of will is certain, or why undergo
the tedium of a restless night? Before the state of sleep can obtain,
the body has to experience an _electro-physico_ change, by which
the extremities are left polarised and the body an animal or living
magnet. That the extremities are polarised during sleep, is admitted
by all physiologists; for the effecting of which there must be a pair
of correlative elements concerned. While the elementary transfer,
productive of the polarities, is taking place, so is drowsiness; when
sleep has obtained, the natural magnetising procedure has terminated;
hence from the degree of polarity, the mesmeriser can determine the
stage to which the patient has been brought between the comatose and
clairvoyant states, and know the capability of his patient for being
made clairvoyant or not; this polar index should be well noticed.
_Comatose Flow._--It must have been observed by many persons while
dozing and the body in a sitting or leaning posture, that an agreeable
warm glow arises in the chest, which increases while passing sensibly
through the pectoral towards the gastric region, and which terminates,
insensibly, in the consummation of sleep; from the feet upwards a
similar, but less perceptible, flow takes place. Of this twofold
_comatose flow_, the immediate consequence is polarisation of the
extremities; sleep is a remote, but not the remotest consequence,
when effects similar to those by the flow are mesmerically effected.
Thus it appears that the theory of sleep and magnetism is the same.
The magnetising procedure, however, has this difference; the magnetic
correlatives are drawn from the middle to and out of the extremities of
the bar; those of the body of the patient recede from the extremities
to the central region, leaving one, the correlative of the other, at
each extremity, in both cases.
The foregoing theory of sleep is described from immediate personal
observation. While leaning over a table, the doze heavy, the comatose
flow distinctly felt in its agreeable downward progress through
the chest, when, just at the instant of forgetfulness, the violent
slam of a door drove away all chance of sleep under the following
circumstances: a sensible and sudden revulsion upwards, a few seconds
of giddiness, and a smart painful stroke on the stomach took place,
all in quick succession; which may be accounted for thus: the slam
prevented the correlative fluids from the opposite extremities meeting
centrally; each gushed irregularly back, and depolarized its extremity,
the suddenness of which caused the giddiness. The stroke is the true
electric shock, inflicted by the medium of space suddenly rushing
or falling on the stomach, from which the matter of the comatose
flow had been as suddenly displaced. Taking all circumstances into
consideration, it is manifest that the state of sleep is the result of
a natural magnetizing operation.
Before the fire, while reading, the superior extremity loses electric
matter to the fire, which leaves it polarized and promotes the
comatose flow. The lower extremity becomes polarized simultaneously
with the upper as a correlative consequence. Sleep is supposed to be
expedited by heat; hence the afternoon's nap is seconded by a silk
handkerchief thrown over the head, but which is only a hindrance to
electric matter, similar to that of the comatose flow entering from
the air and depolarizing the extremity. The handkerchief, from being a
non-conductor, only prevents the coming sleep being retarded; it could
neither generate nor multiply heat.
Naturally it might be questioned, why the body should become somnolent
daily; and, by what means the comatose flow is naturally effected;--of
itself it could not take place. The languor removed, and renovation
of muscular strength through sleep, may satisfy in the first instance.
Next, it would seem, that, as the functions of the several organs
depend on the presence of minus-pressure matter for unequalising
the pressure on each organ, so must there be waste, loss, and daily
deficit of minus-pressure matter; which, from being made good by means
of sleep, leaves it inferable, that the daily quantity derived from
respiration may be little more than sufficient for the continuance
of animation under the minimum of bodily exercise; but as man is
necessitated to follow laborious avocations, so is it designed,
that the loss by service and waste shall be the means whereby the
necessary re-supply is to be furnished. The loss leaves the extremities
polarized; and as greater waste towards total exhaustion approaches,
the matter of the comatose flow becomes needed and is employed in
prolonging the functions of the different organs, and before exhaustion
is complete the body is in the state of sleep; during which, from
every inspiration being far more lengthy than ordinary, the body is
resupplied to repletion with the respirable minus-pressure matter,
by which the extremities are depolarized, and the sleeper is awake,
refreshed and invigorated. From which it may be said, that a man toils
himself to sleep, and sleeps himself awake; and that, not "balmy
sleep," but respiration, is "tired Nature's sweet restorer."
_Mesmeric sleep_ may be considered forced sleep. It is effected
with little or no comatose flow, which renders replenishing by
long breathing unnecessary; and the patient, on being awakened by
demagnetising the extremities, is rather debilitated than refreshed.
Every finger of the mesmeriser is a magnet to the magnetic correlatives
within the extremities of the patient; and the passes polarize after
the manner of the comatose flow in the case of natural sleep. From
there being no mesmerically-effected comatose flow, there is reason to
infer, that _the contents of the nerves of sensation only are what the
passes polarize_ and what only are polarized in natural sleep, although
expressed by the word, _extremities_.
Repetition of the passes separates, or de-electrises more completely
the nerves of the extremities, than for the production of natural sleep
is requisite. Hence it may be said, that the body of the _mesmerised_
patient is in magnetic advance, and hence the series of surprising
consequences which bring to light more and more the wonders of the
economy.
The passes should be conducted on magnetising principles; that is, from
the extremities to the gastric region to bring on somnolency, and from
the same region to the head and feet or extremes to awaken; from head
to foot is unscientific, and might be prejudicial; the central region
of the body should be considered _the mesmeric insuperable line_. Cross
passes having been found efficient are not anomalous, by reason of the
nerves and branches lying in all directions.