“Dr. Brigham of the New York Asylum for the insane expresses the opinion that the most frequent immediate cause of insanity is the want of sleep. ‘Long continued wakefulness disorders the whole system. The appetite becomes impaired, the secretions diminished, the mind dejected, and soon waking dreams occur and strange phantoms appear, which at first may be transient; but ultimately take possession of the mind, and madness or death ensues.’”

Scientific American, March 1880

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