Sleep and Its DerangementsHammond, William A. (William Alexander)
Science
Sleep and Its Derangements
Hammond, William A. (William Alexander)
Sleep -- Physiological aspects; Sleep disorders
At first the circulation of the blood in the brain was rendered more
active, and the respiration became more hurried. The blood-vessels, as
seen through the openings in the skulls, were fuller and redder than
before the opium was given, and the brain of each animal rose through the
hole in the cranium. Very soon, however, the uniformity which prevailed in
these respects was destroyed. In number one the vessels remained
moderately distended and florid for almost an hour, and then the brain
slowly regained its ordinary appearance. In number two the active
congestion passed off in less than half an hour, and was succeeded by a
condition of very decided shrinking, the surface of the brain having
fallen below the surface of the skull, and become pale. As these changes
supervened, the animal gradually sank into a sound sleep, from which it
could easily be awakened. In number three the surface of the brain became
dark, almost black, from the circulation of blood containing a
superabundance of carbon, and owing to diminished action of the heart and
vessels it sank below the level of the opening, showing, therefore, a
diminished amount of blood in its tissue. At the same time the number of
respirations per minute fell from 26 to 14, and they were much weaker than
before. A condition of complete stupor was also induced from which the
animal could not be aroused. It persisted for two hours. During its
continuance, sensation of all kind was abolished, and the power of motion
was altogether lost.
It might be supposed that the conditions present in numbers two and three
differed only in degree. That this was not the case is shown by the
following experiment:
_Experiment._--To the dogs two and three I administered on the following
day, as before, one and two grains of opium respectively. As soon as the
effects began to be manifested upon the condition of the brain, I opened
the trachea of each, and, inserting the nozzle of a bellows, began the
process of artificial respiration. In both dogs the congestion of the
blood-vessels of the brain disappeared. The brain became collapsed, and
the animals fell into a sound sleep, from which they were easily
awakened. If the action of the bellows was stopped and the animals were
left to their own respiratory efforts, no change ensued in number two, but
in number three the surface of the brain became dark, and stupor resulted.
In order to be perfectly assured upon the subject, I proceeded as follows
with another dog:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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