The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-06-10
WHOLE NO. e032.

SLEEP. question has been raised how
much sleep Is required, and how long it is
necessary to be in bed, for the purpose of
rest and retreshment. Eight hours have
( been allotted for the laborer, and six fer
the scholar and gentleman. Very few gem
tlemen, however, are satisfied with this
scale, and capacity for sleep makes the
greater part of the community inclined to
double the period. The capacity for sleep
ing, like the capacity for eating and drink
ing, Is to be increased by indulgence.
Much depends upon habit. Some people
can sleep when they will, and wake when
they will, and are as much refreshed with
short nap as a long one. Seafaring peo-
pie have this property from education. 1
have known persons who never INDUCED
but few hours. One gentleman who en-
tertained notion that second nap was
injurious, invariably got up as soon as he
awoke, no matter how early the hour-win-
ter or summer. Others again will sleep
for four and twenty hours. The celebrated
Quin had this faculty. "What sort of
morning is it, john" every wet, SIR"
Any mullet in the market?" /" No, sir"
Then, John, you may call me this time to-
morrow"-So saying, he composed himself
to sleep, and got rid of the ennu of dull
day in the arms of Morpheus. One gentle
man, IN the Spectator, used to sleep by
weig ht. 81 allow myself one night with
another, quarter of pound of sleep, with
In few grains more or less; and if upon
my rising ind have not consumed my
whole quantity, / take out the rest in my
chair" A lazy old woman used to apollo
gize for lying in bed by saying that she
lay in bed to contrive." Strange as this
old woman's excuse was, an example fol-
lowed by one of the most extraordinary
geniuses of this country, viz, Brindley, of
whom it is recorded, that when any great
difficulty occurred in the execution Of bis
works, having little or no assistance from
books, or the labors of other men, his re-
sources lay within himself. In order, there
fore, to be quiet and uninterrupted whilst
he was in search of the necessary expedi-
ents, he generally retired to his bed and he
has been known to lie there one, two, or
three days, till he had obtained the object
IN view. He would then get up and exc
cute his design without any drawing OF
model. There are different kinds of sleep
ers, as well as different kinds of sleep
some cannot sleep from home-others can
not sleep at home; some can sleep on a
board and snore on carpet; while, others
down disconnected them. Some again can
not sleep in q noise others cannot sleep
out of it. A miller awakens the moment
his mill stops; and tradesman from Cheap
side cannot sleep in the country, because
" it is so plaguy quiet" Somnambulists. or
sleep walkers, usually sleep with their eyes
open but without vision. Shakespeare, who
may be considered very good medical
authority, makes lady Macbeth somnam-
is shut" This is not always the case, how
ever, and there is singular exception, in
the instance of Johannes Oporinus, q prin-
ter, who being employed one night in cor
recting the copy of Greek book, fell
asleep as he read. and yet ceased not to
read, till he had finished not less than u
whole page, of which, when he awoke, he
retained no recollection. There are many
curious histories of sleeping prodigies on
record. The Philosophical Transactions
have several; in one, man slept from
August till January. There is case, read
before Society Of Physicians in 1855, Of
Elizabeth Orvin, who began her sleeping
in 1888, by four days nap, and for ten
years afterwards never slept less than II
hours out of the four-a ndtwenty. Dr.. Bra
dy relates, that some strange methods were
resorted to, to rouse her-such as rubbing
her back with honey, and in hot day ex-
posing her to hive of bees, till her back
was full of bumps-rnakinG pincushion Of
her, and performing acute-punc turation,
with pins and needles-fagella and
" other odd experiments" which the Doctor
informs US he thinks better "to pass over
in silence" all of which might as we'll have
been spared, for she was very sulky and
good for nothing when she was awake
This sulkiness however, should be noticed,
as being connected With the complaint.
Previously to this, somnolent disease, many
Of the persons have become uneasy, sullen,
and surly In all, the mind has evidently
been affected and in some, where there
has been extreme abstinence, their waking
hours have been char scteriZed by decided
mental aberation.-Quarterly Journal,
Some months ago, the Rev. James ARM
strong preached at Harmony near the Wa
bash. when n doctor at that place, a pro-
fessed deist or infdel called on his associ-
ates to accompany him, while he attacked
the Methodist, as he said. AT first he ask
ed Mr.. Armstrong if he followed preaching
! to save souls: he answered in the Rfhrma-'
tive. He then asked Mr.. Armstrong if he
ever saw soul? No. If he ever heard a
soul? No. fine ever tasted soul? No.
! If he ever smelt soul !? No. If he ever
! felt a soul? Yes, thank God, said Mr..
| Armstrong. Well, said the doctor, there
are four of the five senses against one to
evidence there is no soul. Mr.. Armstrong
then asked him if he was n doctor of medi-
cine and he answered in the affirmative.
He then asked the doctor If he ever cav q
pain No. IF he ever heard pain? No.
Ifhe ever tasted pain? No. If he ever
smelt pain? No. Ifhe ever felt n pain
Yes. Mr.. Armstrong then said there are
also four senses against one to evidence
there is no pain, and yet, sir, you know