LEst this Disorder should be thought altogether the work of Imagination, and necessary precautions should be neglected to prevent frequent returns of it; I have collected the sentiments of the ancient Physicians concerning its consequences; whose authority, in this Disease, as well as in many others, I believe, we may safely rely on; because they were wholly ignorant of its immediate cause, and had no favourite theory to support, but faithfully related facts of this kind as they really appear’d.
We find that most of the old observators who have mention’d the Night-mare, reckon it a forerunner of some terrible Disorder: I shall here translate these quotations, for the benefit of my English readers, and add the originals by way of notes, for the perusal of the learned.
“We should endeavour to stop it in the beginning; for, when it returns every night, it portends either Madness, the Epilepsy, or a Mortification31.”
“The Night-mare is a Disorder which attacks People sleeping, and is of no trifling nature, but precedes dreadful Disorders; viz. the Epilepsy, a kind of Melancholy, and an Apoplexy; and if it returns frequently, it shews that they are not far off32.”
“The Disease call’d the Night-mare is not a Dæmon, but rather the fore-runner of the Epilepsy, Madness, or a Mortification. We should stop it in the beginning; for, when it continues long, and returns often, it produces some of the above-mention’d Disorders33.”
“If they, whom the Night-mare seizes in sleep, have cold Sweats, and a palpitation of the Heart after they awake, they are very bad symptoms. They who are long affected with it, have great reason to fear some desperate Disorder of the Head, viz. a Vertigo, an Apoplexy, Madness, a Palsy, an Epilepsy, or some sudden Death: and there are many instances of People being found dead in their beds of this Disorder34.”
The celebrated Boerhaave has mention’d the Night-mare among the principal symptoms of an Apoplexy35.
In order to illustrate these prognostics by modern instances, I have collected several cases, but shall confine myself to the two following.
CASE I.
A Gentleman, about thirty years old, of a full sanguineous habit, and a little intemperate, was tormented with the Night-mare almost every night for two years. He bled often, which gave him short ease; but was at length seiz’d with an Apoplexy, while he had the glass in one Hand and the pipe in the other, and expir’d immediately.
CASE II.
A Gentleman, about forty-five years old, of a corpulent phlegmatic habit of Body, and an inactive disposition of Mind, complain’d of a vast oppression which he felt in his sleep; upon which he consulted a Physician, who prescrib’d both bleeding and purging, to be repeated as often as it return’d. This prescription was follow’d with success at first, but it became so often necessary, that the patient was not able to bear such evacuations. He therefore was obliged to sleep in a chair all night, to avoid the Night-mare. But one night he ventur’d to bed, and was found half dead in the morning. He continued paralytic two years; and after taking the round of Bath and Bristol, &c. to no purpose, he died an Idiot.
“—D. Abraham Schonnichel, who was a Captain of horse in the Emperor’s army, and being fond of drink, was afflicted with the Night-mare as often as he lay on his Back, after taking many medicines it became less frequent. But when, on account of his intemperance, it return’d, I order’d his Chamberlain to rouse him whenever he heard him groan, in sleep; by which means, the fits were shorten’d, but about two years after he died of an Epilepsy36.”
Cœlus Aurelianus says37, that this disease was epidemic and kill’d many at Rome.
As the Romans took little breakfast or dinner, but made supper their principal meal, ’tis probable, that they were very subject to the Night-mare, especially during the Saturnalia, when they held all their repotia or drinking-matches, and indulged themselves in all kinds of intemperance at night.
Galen says, “That the Night-mare is a kind of an Epilepsy, which happens in sleep; and that if it continues long, it will turn to a real Epilepsy38.”
“An accidental Night-mare is not dangerous; but if it be habitual, it threatens an Epilepsy, Apoplexy, or Melancholy, especially if the Person be subject to a Vertigo in the daytime. If it attacks one between sleeping and waking, it denotes the Epilepsy to be very near; but it is remarkably dangerous, when a cold Sweat, a palpitation of the Heart, a Spasm, or a Fainting fit, succeed it39.”
“Hoffman mentions the Night-mare among the Symptoms of an Apoplexy, that was cur’d by an over-dose of Camphire40.”
From these concurring authorities, and the instances that have been given, we have sufficient reason to believe, that the above Diseases often succeed frequent fits of the Night-mare. It is highly probable, that the stagnation of the Blood (which occasions it) in the Pulmonary Veins, right Ventricle, Vena Cava, and the Sinuses of the Brain, may form obstinate obstructions, and leave the rudiments of Polypi in these parts; which may afterwards produce fatal effects. From the situation of the lateral Sinuses, it appears, that in a supine position of the Body, the Blood must move out of them, contrary to its own gravity. Hence, by their turgescence, the Cerebellum may be compress’d, and the animal functions impeded. It was probably to prevent this pressure on the Cerebellum, and to promote the return of the Blood from the Head, that Nature has plac’d these reservoirs in the upper part of the Heads of Quadrupeds.
“If this disorder grows more severe, there is danger of being suffocated in the very fit, and of its producing an Apoplexy or some terrible disorder of the Head, either by pouring Blood into the Ventricles, or substance of the Brain, or by obstructing the Carotid Arteries, or Choroid Plexus: therefore such Diseases are to be prevented by proper methods41.”
Does not this disease kill many who go to bed in perfect health, and are found dead in the morning? Does not the Night-mare carry many drunkards out of this world? Is it not a species of an Apoplexy? Is it not the final cure of all chronic Diseases?