The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-21

SLEEP.-Man IL SO constituted, that after en-
gAglng either in physical or mental labor for a
certain number OF hours every day, a feeling of
fatigue is induced and be sinks into a stats Of
Inconsistencies for number ofhours, aud then
awakens with I" Lature refreshed" and ready to
toll for profit or pleasure. II is necessary part
OF ouv existence to enjoy sleep, and the more un
interrupted the sleep, the more refreshing il is.
II is during the hours of sleep that the electric
battery OF the nervous system is replenished
with invigoratlng power. 1t is therefore a
matter OF no little consequence to examine into
the means which will tend to refreshing repose
lhe state OF the body before going to bed. the
kind Of bed, clothes and ventilation must all
DO then taken into account. full meal before
goig to bed generally causes unpleasing night
visitations and broken sleep therefore it should
be avoided. 1t is not SO refreshing for per-
son TO lie on the back as on the side, and the
right side is the best, although many from
habit feel no uneasiness from lying on their
b ok, or on the left side.
In regard To- the kind of beds most suitable
for refreshing slumber, there are differences of
opinion some are advocates for soft, aud some
for hard beds. The difference between the two
is this" the weight of the body on a soft bed
presses on larger surface than on hard bed,
and consequently more comfort is enjoyed"
Children should never be allowed to sleep on
hard beds, and parents err who suppose that
such beds contribute TO health, hardening and
developing the constitution Of children. We
have read accounts of few quilts being good
b Ids for children in the summer others a
corn husk Mattress" or n pine board with a
piece Of woollen laid upon it," The latter kind
Of bed il gross violation of the laws for the
preservation OF health. Eminent physicians,
Dr. Darwin among the number. states that
2bad beds" have frequently proved injurious to
the shape Of infants Birds cover their nests
for their offspring with the softest down or the
most velvety moss. The softness ofa bed is no
evidence of its being unhealthy, and they have
but poor understanding of the laws of nature
who think otherwise
To render sleep refreshing, the holy should be
bathcd every night, and the bedroom should be
of large dimensions, not the Understanding boxes
named "bed-rooms," for which our cities are
famous, owing to the value Of city property.
From current statistics, it has been observed
that the deaths ofchildren of poorer classes under
len years Of age, in proportion to the children
of the higher classes, are az ten to five. Poor
heds is one cause Of this mortality. Above all
things, however, it should never be overlooked,
that cleanliness tends more TO heaIthful sleep
than anything else.
In warm weather night clothes should be light,
and a thin blanket is perhaps tie best covering
that can be used, but many assert that cotton
sheet is preferable, and if the clothing products
of warm climates are any data whereby we may
form correct opinion, the latter covering must
be the best. 1t is all nonsense to suppose that
the Arabian has sounder constitution, stron-
ger frame, and can bear more than the civilized
man, owing to his squalid and what is called
sthe hardy manner in which he is reared" The
civilized man has better constitution, if he is
man of temperate habits, and he has also stron
ger frame and can endure more fatigue.
The officers of Napoleon's army, at the retreat
from Moscow, endured the fatigue far better
than the common soldiers, and there are abun
dant evidences to prove that generous rearing
tends to produce nober physical and menta
constitution, than that 10 be reared amid power
ty and stunted with hardship. Those who poiD
to the advantages of barbarc life can use nj
good argument for lettering the condition o
the oorer classes 1t is an old exploded
doctrine, that the children of the poor ar
{ healthier and stronger than the children of tn
rich. If this were true, poverty surely we've
bless We conclude by saying that good
soft and clearly beds for children and adults
will tend greatly to promote health, by produc
ing refreshing slumber, especially to the wear
workman.-Sc Scientific American.