The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1852-11-26
SLEEP.-The Scientific American thus dis.
courses on the subject Of sleep:

courses on the subject Of sleep:
"No person of active mind should try to
prevent sleep, which, in such persons, only
comes when rest is Indispensable to the con-
tlnuance OF health. In fact, sleep once in
twenty-four hours is rs essential to the exis.
tence OF mammalia as tho momcntarv rcspi.
ration Of fresh air. The most unfavorabIe
condition for sleep cannot prevent its ap-
proach. Coachmen slumber on their coachcs.
and couriers on their horses, while soldiers
fall asleep on the field of battle. amidst all
the noise of artillery and the tumult of war.
During the retreat of Sir John Moore. several
OF the British soldiers were reported to have
fallen asleep on the march, and yet they con-
tinued walking onward.
The most violent passions and excitement
Of mind cannot preserve even powerful minds
t2ir9m sleep; thus Alexander the Great slept
on the field of Arbela, and Napoleon on that
of Austerlitz. Even stripes and tortures can
not keep Oft sleep, rs criminals have been
known to sleep on the rack, noises which
serve at first to drive away sleep, soon be-
come Indispensable to its existence; thus n
stage-coach stopping to change horses, wakes
all the passengers. The proprietor of an
iron forge, who slept close to the din of ham,
mers, forges and blast furnaces, would wake
| if there was any interruption of them during
the night, and sick miller who had his mill
stopped on that account, passed slceplcss
nights till the mill resumed its usual noise
Homer, in the llliad, elegantly represents
sleep us overcoming all men, and even the
Gods, excepting Jupiter alone.
'Nhn Ion rtb nf finn ,,occnJ in c1,o,, ;e. =, ~
the same in all men; it varies in different in.
dividuals and at different ages; but it cannot
be determined from the time passed in sleep
relative to the strength or energy of the tunc.
tons Of the body or mind. From six to nine
hours is the average proportion, yet tho Ro.
man Emperor, Caliiula, slept only three hours
Frederick, of Prussia, and DR.. John Hunter
consumed only four or five hours in reposc
while the great Scipio slept during eight.
A rich and lazy citizen will slumbcr from
ten to twelve hours daily. 1t is during in
fancy that sleep is longer and more profound
Women also sleep longer than men, and
young men longer than old.
~ The Athens (Ga) Herald, whicl
stood aloof in the late contest, talks as fol
lows in regard to the future:
awe do not perceive any good reason why
the wings should be dispirted. Much may
be accomplished by industry in the course OF
four years. 1t is not desirable that either OF
the great national parties of this country
should 60 down. Their existence is abso-
lutely necessary to 4 healthy state of the
body polite. They arc just such parties as
the country needs. One being progressive u
and the other conservative they can and
will mutually check each other. Whig con-
servatsm would keep every thing at Il per-
feet stand still, while democratic progression
would run every thing to-no one knows
where, if it were not for the checking inllu-
ence of the other party. Viewing the matter
in this light, we think no true friend to the
country could witness, unmovcd, the extnc.
ton of either OF the great partes-it being
manifestly to the interest of the country that
the present "see-saw" system now up and
then down. should be continued. The I'M.
interrupted success of either party would
ruin it, Parties, like men, are improved by
being purgcd of their dross in the 'furnace
of atllction." The whig party is just now
undergoing that operation.