Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-03-11
The Phenomena of Sleep.

DR.. Dickson, of South Carolina, has recently
published work on Life, Sleep, Pain and
Death, which contains some curious facts and
specuatons. The following facts are given IN
relation to sleep, which is described as the re-
pose of the mind:
The necessary amount of sleep differs in the
various tribes, as well as in different indi-
viduas. The average proportion of time thus
employed by our race is one-third. Sir John
Sinclair, who slept eight hours himself, says that
in his researches upon the subject of longevity,
he found long life under every circumstance
and every course of habit-some old men being
abstnent, others Incorporate, some active, and
some indolent-but all had slept well and long.
Alfred the Great slept eight hours day-Jere-
my Taylor but three. Bolaparte, during the
greater part Of his active life, was content with
four or five hours sleep. Old age and infancy
sleep much.
Some boys slept, from fatigue, on board of
Nelson's ship, at the battle of the Nile. Among
the impressive incidents Of Sir John Moore's
disastrous retreat to Corunna in Spain, not the
least striking is the recorded fact that many Of
his soldiers steadily pursued their march while
fast asleep. Burdach, however, ahirms that this
i 4, not unsomr1en amoDg soldiers. Er.hSlih
alept nearly an hour, swimming on his back. An
acquaintance of DR.. D., travelling with party
in North Carolina being greatly fatigued, was
observed 10 be soundly asleep in his saddle. His
horse, being better walker, went far in advance
of the rest. On crossing hill, they found him
on the ground, snoring quietly. His horse had
fallen as was evident from his broken knees, anC
had thrown his rider on his head, on hard sur
face, without waking him.
Animals of the lower orders, obey peculia
laws in regard to sleep. Fish are said to sleel
soundy; and we are told by Aristotle that the
tench may be taken in this state if approached
cautiously. Many birds and beasts of prey take
their repOse in the day time. When kept in
captivity this habit undergoes change, which
makes us doubt whether it was not the result oI
necessity which demanded that they should take
advantage of the darkness, silence, and the un-
guarded state of their victims. In the menage-
rie at Paris, even the hyena sleeps at night and
is awake by day. They all, however, seek, as
favoring the purpose, certain degree Of seclu-
sion and shade, with the exception of the lion,
who, Burdach informs US, sleeps at MONDAY in
the open plain; and the eagle and condor, that
polse themselves on the most elevated pinnacle
of rock in the clear blue atmosphere and daz.
zling sunlight Birds, however, are furnished
with nictitating membrane generally, to shell
ter the eye from light. Fish prefer to retire to
sleep under the shadow of rock, or a woody
bank. Of domestic animals the horse seems to
require the least Sleep and that he usually takes
in an erect posture.
Birds that rest in sitting posture are fur
nished with we'll adapted mechanism, which
keeps them firmly supported without voluntary
or conscious action. The tendon Of the claws IS
so arranged as to be frightened by their weight
when the thighs are bent, thus contracting
closely and grasping the bough or perch. In
certain other animals which sleep erect, the ar
ticulations of the foot and knee are described by
Dumerl as resembling the spring of pocket
knife, which opens the instrument, and serves to
keep 1t in line with the handle.