on sleep and sleeplessness-第2章

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more　reasonably　anticipated。　But；　according　to　the　explanation　just



given；　all　is　quite　clear　regarding　those　also。　For；　when　the　sense



organ　which　controls　all　the　others；　and　to　which　all　the　others　are



tributary；　has　been　in　some　way　affected；　that　these　others　should



be　all　affected　at　the　same　time　is　inevitable；　whereas；　if　one　of　the



tributaries　becomes　powerless；　that　the　controlling　organ　should



also　become　powerless　need　in　no　wise　follow。



　　It　is　indeed　evident　from　many　considerations　that　sleep　does　not



consist　in　the　mere　fact　that　the　special　senses　do　not　function　or



that　one　does　not　employ　them；　and　that　it　does　not　consist　merely



in　an　inability　to　exercise　the　sense…perceptions；　for　such　is　what



happens　in　cases　of　swooning。　A　swoon　means　just　such　impotence　of



perception；　and　certain　other　cases　of　unconsciousness　also　are　of



this　nature。　Moreover；　persons　who　have　the　bloodvessels　in　the　neck



compressed　become　insensible。　But　sleep　supervenes　when　such



incapacity　of　exercise　has　neither　arisen　in　some　casual　organ　of



sense；　nor　from　some　chance　cause；　but　when；　as　has　been　just



stated；　it　has　its　seat　in　the　primary　organ　with　which　one



perceives　objects　in　general。　For　when　this　has　become　powerless　all



the　other　sensory　organs　also　must　lack　power　to　perceive；　but　when



one　of　them　has　become　powerless；　it　is　not　necessary　for　this　also　to



lose　its　power。



　　We　must　next　state　the　cause　to　which　it　is　due；　and　its　quality



as　an　affection。　Now；　since　there　are　several　types　of　cause　（for　we



assign　equally　the　'final'；　the　'efficient'；　the　'material'；　and　the



'formal'　as　causes）；　in　the　first　place；　then；　as　we　assert　that



Nature　operates　for　the　sake　of　an　end；　and　that　this　end　is　a　good；



and　that　to　every　creature　which　is　endowed　by　nature　with　the　power



to　move；　but　cannot　with　pleasure　to　itself　move　always　and



continuously；　rest　is　necessary　and　beneficial；　and　since；　taught　by



experience；　men　apply　to　sleep　this　metaphorical　term；　calling　it　a



'rest'　＇from　the　strain　of　movement　implied　in　sense…perception＇：　we



conclude　that　its　end　is　the　conservation　of　animals。　But　the　waking



state　is　for　an　animal　its　highest　end；　since　the　exercise　of



sense…perception　or　of　thought　is　the　highest　end　for　all　beings　to



which　either　of　these　appertains；　inasmuch　as　these　are　best；　and



the　highest　end　is　what　is　best：　whence　it　follows　that　sleep



belongs　of　necessity　to　each　animal。　I　use　the　term　'necessity'　in　its



conditional　sense；　meaning　that　if　an　animal　is　to　exist　and　have



its　own　proper　nature；　it　must　have　certain　endowments；　and；　if



these　are　to　belong　to　it；　certain　others　likewise　must　belong　to　it



＇as　their　condition。＇



　　The　next　question　to　be　discussed　is　that　of　the　kind　of　movement　or



action；　taking　place　within　their　bodies；　from　which　the　affection



of　waking　or　sleeping　arises　in　animals。　Now；　we　must　assume　that



the　causes　of　this　affection　in　all　other　animals　are　identical



with；　or　analogous　to；　those　which　operate　in　sanguineous　animals；　and



that　the　causes　operating　in　sanguineous　animals　generally　are



identical　with　those　operating　in　man。　Hence　we　must　consider　the



entire　subject　in　the　light　of　these　instances　＇afforded　by



sanguineous　animals；　especially　man＇。　Now；　it　has　been　definitely



settled　already　in　another　work　that　sense…perception　in　animals



originates　ill　the　same　part　of　the　organism　in　which　movement



originates。　This　locus　of　origination　is　one　of　three　determinate



loci；　viz。　that　which　lies　midway　between　the　head　and　the　abdomen。



This　is　sanguineous　animals　is　the　region　of　the　heart；　for　all



sanguineous　animals　have　a　heart；　and　from　this　it　is　that　both　motion



and　the　controlling　sense…perception　originate。　Now；　as　regards



movement；　it　is　obvious　that　that　of　breathing　and　of　the　cooling



process　generally　takes　its　rise　there；　and　it　is　with　a　view　to　the



conservation　of　the　＇due　amount　of＇　heat　in　this　part　that　nature



has　formed　as　she　has　both　the　animals　which　respire；　and　those



which　cool　themselves　by　moisture。　Of　this　＇cooling　process＇　per　se　we



shall　treat　hereafter。　In　bloodless　animals；　and　insects；　and　such



as　do　not　respire；　the　'connatural　spirit'　is　seen　alternately



puffed　up　and　subsiding　in　the　part　which　is　in　them　analogous　＇to　the



region　of　the　heart　in　sanguineous　animals＇。　This　is　clearly



observable　in　the　holoptera　＇insects　with　undivided　wings＇　as　wasps



and　bees；　also　in　flies　and　such　creatures。　And　since　to　move



anything；　or　do　anything；　is　impossible　without　strength；　and



holding　the　breath　produces　strength…in　creatures　which　inhale；　the



holding　of　that　breath　which　comes　from　without；　but；　in　creatures



which　do　not　respire；　of　that　which　is　connatural　（which　explains



why　winged　insects　of　the　class　holoptera；　when　they　move；　are



perceived　to　make　a　humming　noise；　due　to　the　friction　of　the



connatural　spirit　colliding　with　the　diaphragm）；　and　since　movement



is；　in　every　animal；　attended　with　some　sense…perception；　either



internal　or　external；　in　the　primary　organ　of　sense；　＇we　conclude＇



accordingly　that　if　sleeping　and　waking　are　affections　of　this



organ；　the　place　in　which；　or　the　organ　in　which；　sleep　and　waking



originate；　is　self…evident　＇being　that　in　which　movement　and



sense…perception　originate；　viz。　the　heart＇。



　　Some　persons　move　in　their　sleep；　and　perform　many　acts　like



waking　acts；　but　not　without　a　phantasm　or　an　exercise　of



sense…perception；　for　a　dream　is　in　a　certain　way　a



sense…impression。　But　of　them　we　have　to　speak　later　on。　Why　it　is



that　persons　when　aroused　remember　their　dreams；　but　do　not　remember



these　acts　which　are　like　waking　acts；　has　been　already　explained　in



the　work　'Of　Problems'。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　3







　　The　point　for　consideration　next　in　order　to　the　preceding



is：…What　are　the　processes　in　which　the　affection　of　waking　and



sleeping　originates；　and　whence　do　they　arise？　Now；　since　it　is　when



it　has　sense…perception　that　an　animal　must　first　take　food　and



receive　growth；　and　in　all　cases　food　in　its　ultimate　form　is；　in



sanguineous　animals；　the　natural　substance　blood；　or；　in　bloodless



animals；　that　which　is　analogous　to　this；　and　since　the　veins　are



the　place　of　the　blood；　while　the　origin　of　these　is　the　heart…an



assertion　which　is　proved　by　anatomy…it　is　manifest　that；　when　the



external　nutriment　enters　the　parts　fitted　for　its　reception；　the



evaporation　arising　from　it　enters　into　the　veins；　and　there；



undergoing　a　change；　is　converted　into　blood；　and　makes　its　way　to



their　source　＇the　heart＇。　We　have　treated　of　all　this　when



discussing　the　subject　of　nutrition；　but　must　here　recapitulate　what



was　there　said；　in　order　that　we　may　obtain　a　scientific　view　of　the



beginnings　of　the　process；　and　come　to　know　what　exactly　happens　to



the　primary　organ　of　sense…perception　to　account　for　the　occurrence　of



waking　and　sleep。　For　sleep；　as　has　been　shown；　is　not　any　given



impotence　of　the　perceptive　faculty；　for　unconsciousness；　a　certain



form　of　asphyxia；　and　swooning；　all　produce　such　impotence。　Moreover



it　is　an　established　fact　that　some　persons　in　a　profound　trance



have　still　had　the　imaginative　faculty　in　play。　This　last　point；



indeed；　gives　rise　to　a　difficulty；　for　if　it　is　conceivable　that



one　who　had　swooned　should　in　this　state　fall　asleep；　the　phantasm



also　which　then　presented　itself　to　his　mind　might　be　regarded　as　a



dream。　Persons；　too；　who　have　fallen　into　a　deep　trance；　and　have　come



to　be　regarded　as　dead；　say　many　things　while　in　this　condition。　The



same　view；　however；　is　to　be　taken　of　all　these　cases；　＇i。e。　that　they



are　not　cases　of　sleeping　or　dreaming＇。



　　As　we　observed　above；　sleep　is　not　co…extensive　with　any　and　every



impotence　of　the　perceptive　faculty；　but　this　affection　is　one　which



arises　from　the　evaporation　attendant　upon　the　process　of　nutrition。



The　matter　evaporated　must　be　driven　onwards　to　a　certain　point；



then　turn　back；　and　change　its　current　to　and　fro；　like　a　tide…race　in



a　narrow　strait。　Now；　in　every　animal　the　hot　naturally　tends　to



move　＇and　carry　other　things＇　upwards；　but　when　it　has　reached　the



parts　above　＇becoming　cool＇；　it　turns　back　again；　and　moves



downwards　in　a　mass。　This　explains　why　fits　of　drowsiness　are



especially　apt　to　come　on　after　meals；　for　the　matter；　both　the　liquid



and　the　corporeal；　which　is　borne　upwards　in　a　mass；　is　then　of



considerable　quantity。　When；　therefore；　this　comes　to　a　stand　it



weighs　a　person　down　and　causes　him　to　nod；　but　when　it　has　actually



sunk　downwards；　and　by　its　return　has　repulsed　the　hot；　sleep　comes



on；　and　the　animal　so　affected　is　presently　asleep。　A　confirmation



of　this　appears　from　considering　the　things　which　induce　sleep；　they



all；　whether　potable　or　edible；　for　instance　poppy；　mandragora；



wine；　darnel；　produce　a　heaviness　in　the　head；　and　persons　borne



down　＇by　sleepiness＇　and　nodding　＇drowsily＇　all　seem　affected　in



this　way；　i。e。　they　are　unable　to　lift　up　the　head　or　the　eye…lids。



And　it　is　after　meals　especially　that　sleep　comes　on　like　this；　for



the　evaporation　from　the　foods　eaten　is　then　copious。　It　also



follows　certain　forms　of　fatigue；　for　fatigue　operates　as　a　solvent；



and　the　dissolved　matter　acts；　if　not　cold；　like　food　prior　to



digestion。　Moreover；　some　kinds　of　illness　have　this　same　effect；



those　arising　from　moist　and　hot　secretions；　as　happens　with



fever…patients　and　in　cases　of　lethargy。　Extreme　youth　also　has　this



effect；　infants；　for　example；　sleep　a　great　deal；　because　of　the



food　being　all　borne　upwards…a　mark　whereof　appears　in　the



disproportionately　large　size　of　the　upper　parts　compared　with　the



lower　during　infancy；　which　is　due　to　the　fact　that　growth



predominates　in　the　direction　of　the　former。　Hence　also　they　are



subject　to　epileptic　seizures；　for　sleep　is　like　epilepsy；　and；　in　a



sense；　actually　is　a　seizure　of　this　sort。　Accordingly；　the



beginning　of　this　malady　takes　place　with　many　during　sleep；　and　their



subsequent　habitual　seizures　occur　in　sleep；　not　in　waking　hours。



For　when　the　spirit　＇evaporation＇　moves　upwards　in　a　volume；　on　its



return　downwards　it　distends　the　veins；　and　forcibly　compresses　the



passage　through　which　respiration　is　effected。　This　explains　why　wines



are　not　good　fo