Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THE REFLECTOR MILLEDGEV1LLE, G. TUESDAY, SEl'TEMHERl, 1818. NO. 43. FOB Till-’. HEFLKCTUB. EAT;SE on dreams. fs,—-I take the liberty of forward speculative treatise on Dreams, yon please, you ran reflect from ns. It consists of new, ami pen ny appear to some, of wild and eorv : but there will be no doubt iologists, that the doctrines enn- truly physiological and pathologi- eing made public, they may cx- y on the subject, and cause some mind to retrace my stejts, and e numerous errors necessarily con- rein. A treatise on a new subject voted to be so chaste in every re- thosc written by way of improvc- cn the subject has become familiar. ypniolnt'ia, 1 mean a discourse or m dreams. Numerous have been Ions, catch-penny productions on the sole objects of which have been i pockets of the ignorant and super- arts of society, and to perpetuate I superstition, the too long contina- hicli, is now to he much lamented : he false and ungrounded theories by them less numerous. Inasmuch duction is intended (however shoe d it may deserve to fall, judge can- ) as development of causes and lunging strictly to philosophy, but more particularly to that brunch thology—Inasmuch as I hope in nsurc to shew, that those sensual (called dreams, are as much asotlnu the effects of certain causes, which re as certainly due from tlie ajiplica- continuance of certain stimuli, an I te. of excitability.—Inasmuch as ! II confidence in this fact, that a re- t on. and pursuance of my plan into utest observations on nature’s move- anil the laws of the animal economy, develope in full, the plan of prevent using, and curing almost every kind ms—and, inasmuch as a knowledge of is the grand object of all srientifi- lies, I teel that I have some grounds n to calculate for it to find a better tan oblivion. Should this, however, nal doom the Fates hold in readiness will at least afford some amusement speculative, if it is only ephemeral. TUB AUTHOR. Silo, August, 1S18. treatise on dreams, I shall make) ral class comprehend the whole ; ill he divided and subdivided, as na- ears to afford ground, into onlines fra, and these last may by the imagi ne reader, as by that of the author, vided into species entirely too numrr- treated of in this short essay.— bs, I shall call Somnia. essay. I shall use this term foe a class, embracing all those ideas, , or sensorial motions, which take ring sleep, and which indicate an t state thereof. ass Somnia, I shall divide into the ordities, viz. Via a reiteraiionc dirccta. = a reiteratinne revcr.ni vel a t ;ci !V>. »extrao dinavia, vcl sine ixemjdo. ch Ordo I. is divided iiuo4 genera, viz. ia iirruvna. - illepida. r.flmistn. iiuiiHcrc»’.c:a. doll, is divided into " genera, viz. : iaamccna a rederatione reversa, vel a txdio. lllcp da reversa. = admi^ta reversa. rdo III. »s divided into o genera, iavoluptar.a prater naturern. U turbulenla. OKDO I. a reileratione dirccta. Under this ish to comprise all those dreams, the direct representations ofideas, e, during the waking hours exist- brain, whether through the modi- senses, be. or from imagination, are the direct reiterations of opc- tlie power of imagination, or of motions of the immediate organs c. —Somniu. amrena veljucunila, im- ose dreams which partake of the general characteristic of Ordo I. c direct reiteration of some pre- ession made by the senses or ima- nd at the same time, produce in um, that kind or degree of excite- h is calculated for the production able sensations. Somnia illcpidu, by which I dreams partaking of the cliarac- the order to which the genus be at the same, time, producing such nd kind of excitement, as to give f pain, or displeasure. —Somnia admista. This genus ds all those dreams which partake acteristic of its order, and the tics of the 1st and 2d genera, to t. In other words, dreams of re such usitions of imagination, I' •• of the organs of sense, during sleep as i give pleasure and pain from their Similitude to the impressions made in the waking hours, and of which they are the direct reiterations, Gen. 4.—Somnia indifferenda, whereby 1 mean those dreams which consist of direct re iterations, (the characteristic of the order) whilst in their nature they are merely pas sive, producing no sense of pleasure or pain worthy of attention. This genus includes all those dreams of the 1. Ord. which are excited by the action of objects, which are least interesting, and whose impressions are hut faintly made, from their possessing in their nature nothing ca pable of exciting desire or aversion. Thus when after 1 stand in the court lobby, and see and hear fur some hours, or until I am a little wearied, the uniform routine of fo rensic procedure, in which there shall be no display of elocution remarkable or intcrcst- ing, I return to my couch and seek refresh ment and sleep ; I have reiterated in mr senses all the transactions of juries, clients, ittornics, sheriff’s, and probably many his- fories of evidence concerning slander, as sault, be. This case carries along with it a •- icw of the cause and effect, precisely ac cording to iny idea of the order in gen ral. Aut, perhaps, my reader will gain some clu- ' idation ol the theory of those direct reitera tions which constitute dreams of the 1. order, ‘>.v niysaying, as in ocular spectra, the re iteration w direct when the exhaustion of the excitability in the organ lias not been com plete nor nearly so. In experiments on or- ilar spertra, we find them reiterate at snort intervals, whirl) reiteration is owing to tin changes that go on in the sensorial p nver of lie part which is the immediate cause of the i ts in of the fibres of the organ of our sense, which constitutes our visual ideas. This re iteration, too, returns the more distinct and often, the more powerful the impressions of i he visible object has been made. So also of impressions on our senses him! our dreams Cor lurtlicr ideas on the powers and action- if the organs of sense see a paper on (), ulur Spectra, written by Dr. R. W. Darwin, of Shrewsbury, found in the 70 vol. Philos. Trans, and Zonnonila : Reflections, as well as imaginary impressions, are reiterated.— I'o prevent dreams of this order, we inns’ avdid fatigue, in every respect keep o n minds healthy, and regularly excited by a well timid and moderate exercise, and keep free from strong passions, be. ORDO II. Somnia a rcl'erutione reversa, rtl a Indio. i be characteristic which distinguishes this from the first order, is that tiie reiterations which constitute the sensual motions we call dreams, arc the reverse of tlio primitive mo tions of the waking hours by which they have been produced. Reiterations ar reverse only hen the exhaustion has been • ari'ied to a great or fatiguing extent. They appear to he constituted by the exertion (it fibres antagonist to those first excited, whose exertion is intended to relieve a kind of en nui, or irksomeness, which is dependant on action of one kind being carried so far as to produce fatigue or exhaustion in the fibres excited. This order will be divide , into three genera. Gen. 1 ,~Snmnia am ten a a reileratiai'c re versa-. vel a twain. Jly this genus, I would he understood to mean those sensual motions which occur during sleep, and are the re verse of some unplersant impression, that has hern made upon the organs of sense du- ringthc waking hours. These are the dreams which we experience after being unhappy during our waking hours, our only respite from unhappiness being that which we ex perience during those reverse reiterations in our sleeping hours. We then dream of our situation being favorable and desirable in every respect—wc feel entire restoration from our troubles to a state of felicity which renders life inestimably desirable. Those are dreamed by unfortunate lovers, who imagine themselves entirely restored to the warmest and most heart binding affections of the. beloved object, that in these embraces they are enjoying every thing desirable. They are dreamed by debtors, who ima gine themselves in prosperity, all their debts having been paid by some fortunate means, which they are surprised they did not before find out. 15y merchants who have lately heard of great losses by sea, or the fall of some article of which they have an immense stock on hand. They imagine at this time they are making a great speculation, and arc peculiar fortunate in having this large stock on hand, or that they have shipped a large stock of produce at a certain time which was fortunate in escaping a storm, and ar riving safe in foreign port, at a time when prices were favorable. See some unfortu nate ringleader of a faction, after having greatly to his mortification miscarried in his designs and become deserted by his satellites. He dreams of his prosperity or success.— The impostor who has been electioneering for interest, having discovered cither by the expressions of mouh or countenance, that those lie has been willing and endeavoring to dupe, have had penetration enough to ex plore his depth anil spy out his ignorance and the intended imposition, dreams lie is ah to make a fortune by those characters, Ac. Thus in all eases where'unpleasant matters have weighed heavily on the mind, so as to fiaiguc the fibres which constitute the" sen sual motions of which the ideas of those mat ters consist. I will take this opportunity of observing that in all the genera of this order, the caus es whose reverse the dream is, have gene rally dwelt heavily on the mind, and mono polized almost the whole of the attention du ring the waking hours. Gen. 2.—Somnia illcpida reversa. These are dreams whereof the parent excitement, during the waking hours, lias been very plea sant, so much so as to monopolize the at tention greatly and fatigue the configurating fibres of the senses, which receive the ideas which give us pleasure ; when this excite ment is relaxed, as when we drop asleep, the fibres are thrown into a reverse motion, or configuration which consequently gives the idea as nearly the contrary of the- for mer as possible. A similar motion takes place when on a clear day we look through a window till (lie ritiua is fatigued, then throw our eyes immediately on the white wall within the house, and we immediately see the shape of the sash (which was dark, or which obscured the view of the brightness of day through the window) described on the wall by luminous lines crossing at right an gles, and the lights of the windows are seen dark on the wail. If then we close our eyes "losefy and put our bands over them so as to prevent an; admission of light, we find the spectrum of the sash black or dark—if we :lien elevate the- brow, and thin the upper ye lid as much as we can without opening ilie eye. the sash will then assume a red co lor. All these changes or reiterated confi gurations of the. organs of sense, are like dreams dependant on the state and changes d excitability, mid the quantity of stimulus applied. The dreamers of ihi-c genus are those a ho are enjoying the blessings which good i-trtune bestows, and this to a sensible de gree ; for where is this only what is habitual to the receiver, and is attended with no par ticular pleasure, the fibrous exertion not having gone so lar as to produce a lively sensation of pleasure, no sad reverse is ex perienced in sleep, but the repose is calm and inintcrriiptcd. Thus we find the ignorant, unreflecting, siipeesti'ious man of little sen sibility', and other traits of character usual ly concomitant with those who live retired and contented, who has even temper, and •••engaged mind, who thinks not further than the familiar and perpetual impressions -if every day , who labors moderately, and uniformly trusting (as he may have been in structed to do} to Divine l’rovidenee for the next day’s support, or the reward of his la- oor. whose wife, in good health, greets with joy his rioning, and whose ruddy cheeked | uud coral lipped pratlers, miniatures of their kind parents, hail him win* he arrives at the door of his humble cot at the close of the day from the toil.? of the field with the en dearing epithet papa, romp about the house and fondle at his knees, till their fatigued limbs seek refreshment on the hard floor and their chattering tongues, iii the peaceful slumbers of the night. This man is happy, inasmuch as he has hot few miseries, not irom any actual enjoyments he experiences. His want of the fine sensibilities, the pride of flic well-timed part of the human race, forbids any sensible excitement being pro duced by those causes most dear to these.— This man whose condition in life is—shall I not say enviable ? (Ave, if a desirable por tion of happiness is found in any condition in life, permit me to say it is here.) ile ro- i lines’early on his scanty matrass, and en joys the blessings of sleep in its most com posed, uninterrupted anil perfect state. The senses as well as all other parts of the sys tem, appear dead with the exception of those parts wliirii derive nerves from that astonishing and extraordinary nervous struc ture, called the great sympathetic—a key to a rich treasure of physiological and patha- logieal facts hut I must return to the genus in point. This genus is, in some measure, the reverse of the former; for in this the primarily exciting impressions are pleasant, and the reiterations unpleasant—as when a lover has received every thing flattering from his mistress, and has been highly ex- liiliTated thereby during the waking hours, he dreams of disappointment aVid perplcxit; in every shape imaginable—and so of other species of this genus. Gen. 3.—Somnia admistu reversa. This genus partakes both of the nature of the 1st and 2(1 genus of this order, inasmuch as they liayc both pleasurable and painful parts —and like the 3d genus of the 1st ord. inas much as they partake both of the 1st and 2d. There is no 4th genus of this order, because those impressions which produce this order must necessarily be active enough to fatigue the fibres of the. organs of sense before the reiteration can he of the reverse order. The causes may. perhaps, be all summed under this general head, viz.—fatiguing the organs of sense with one, kind of Action un til it becomes irksome. The prevention de pends upon avoiding all exciting causes, or their application to the above extent, as well also, ideas of reflection as those formed by impart of external objects, on the organs of sense. -.- onno iii. Somnia txlraordinaria vel sine exemplo, I consider as being peculiar to itself, on ac count of tlie configuration therein being en tirely new and unlike any other impression, whether direct or reverse, only inasmuch as they produce as an effect delight or.-distress. They are unnatural representations of ma terial beings, shewing them, in all respects, entirely inconsistent with any known quali ty, or circumstance by which they arc natu rally characterized. The 2d ord. consisted of, representations, tlie reverse of the first configuration, which reverses are dissimilar to many of the well known circumstances of life ; but dreams of this order are novel, and stand related to no other motions of the or gans of sense as effects ; but are themselves the primary. motions, and are dependant on internal stimulating causes which exert their irritating power during sleep. The most frequent causes of these arc a slight fe ver, or a hearty meal of onions, sausages or strong meats before sleep. Tins is the same kind of operation on the organs of sense as some deliria in fever. The cause operating as before observed, produces a febrile action in the fibres of tire system generally, but op erating only in a small degree, is not capa ble of producing its wanted hallucination du ring the presence of volition ; hut as soon as this faculty is lost in sleep, the irritation lias tlie power of producing hallucinations of this order. Let us now increase the degree of fever three or four fold, and we find the cause then sufficient to overcome, the power of volition, and produce the same kind of hallucination during the waking state. Every one knows flic incongruity, and e. ven distress of delirium in fever. Every •me knows the distress of those dreams which occur during the sleep of fevers, and are nothing short of febrile delirium. The trivial causes which produce them, having been rendered competent thereto only in con, sequence of. the power of volition not being placed in opposition, but last in sleep. A few also experience the effects of a preternatu ral delight, and even ecstacy enjoyed in the dreams qf some fevers and some of peculiar constitutions after taking laudanum ; hut of these I shall treat in their proper place.— This order I shall divide into two genera. Gen. l.—Somnia voluptari.it prater vatu, rem. Utider this head I compriso all those de ams which arc very delightful; but the configurations c onstituting which are not the direct nor reverse reiterations of any idea before received ; but such as arc induced by internal excitement, which takes the advan tage of the absence of volition to produce its effects. , , f recognize a case directly in point.—Mr. 15. S. of Petersburg, Ga. a gentleman about 40 years of age, of brilliant genius, hut with, out tire advantages of a classical education, had a small pleasant family consisting of a w ife and two daughters, lie was attacked with Rush’s synochoid state of fever. lie conversed with unusual ratiocination during the waking hours, which were only about six or seven in twenty four. He was so de lighted with bis dreams that in consequence thereof he could not, be offended when awake —but begged to be indulged in his reveries, and embraced every opportunity of enjoying them. Ilis dreams were.uniform as if at thq time of going to sleep he actually entered such an apartment as was indicated by those dreams, lie imagined himself to be in a most magnificent and splendid palace* a ce lestial abode, his wife and daughters wero angels, and all about him displayed to bis senses in a must, exquisite and indiscribable manner, the highest possible perfection of felicity. So moved were his features hy the ecstacy he enjoyed that the bystanders could, by the elevation of bis brow and the corrugation of bis forehead, readily distinguish the engage ment of his mind the exquisite grandeur of the scenes it was contemplating, and its ex ertion to comprehend- their excellence. So exquisite were his enjoyments, and so pecu liar in their nature, that lie complained du ring the waking hours, that he knew be should never enjoy in any other state or condition so perfect .a degree of feli city, and on this ground importuned against tlie removal of tiis fever, not hut that he- was sensible he could not survive many weeks under the action thereof; but that lie preferred a short life of exquisite bliss to a long one irritated and rendered unhappy hy the causes of tlie common state of mental excitement He recovered and was till his late decease sensible of the delight he expo-