The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1853-11-23
Guriosities of Sleep.

key, ii person happens to fall asleep il
l the neighborhood OF poppyield, and tn,
, wind blows over towards him, he become.
gradually narcotsed, and would die if thu
country people, who are we'll acquainted
with the circumstance, did not bring hin
10 the n ex: well or stream, and empty pitch
er after pitcher on his face and body. DR.
, Oppanheim, during his residence in Tur
key. owed his life TO this simple and effica
J cious treatment. DR.. Graves, from whom
) this anecdote is quoted. also reports the
case of gentleman, thirty years of age
t who. from long continued sleeplness, was
t reduced to complete living skeleton, un.
able to stand on his legs. Ii was partly
, owing 10 disease, but chiefly 10 the abuse
Of mercury and opium. until at last unable
to pursue his business. he sank into abject
, poverty and woe. DIR. Reid mentions q
friend of his who, whenever anything oc.
Cured to distress him soon became drow-
sy. and fell asleep. A fellow student also
at Edenburgh, upon hearing suddenly the
unexpected death of a near relative, threw
himself on his bed, and almost instanta-
neously, amidst the glare of MONDAY
f sunk into a profound slumber. Another
est friends stretched on his death bed, fell
fast asleep, and with the book still in his
hand. wen, on reading. utterly unconsci.
Gus of what he was uttering. A woman
at Henauli slept seventeen or eighteen
hours day for fifteen days. Another is
recorded to have slept once four days. A
man twenty five years Of age, at Timsbu.
ry. near Beath, once slept for month,
and in two years he slep, again for sew
enteen days. Dir. Macnish mentions a
woman, who spent three-iourths of her lite
in sleep; and Dr. Elliotson, who has COL
lecied several instances OF this sort. quotes
the case of young lady who slept for
six weeks. and recovered. Herotus, in
"Melpomene," alIudes ineredulously to a
race OF Scyt'iians, or Tartars, in the ex
treme North. who were reported 10 sleep
six months OF the year. Two young
gentlemen, says DIR. Graves, "college
students. went to bed in perfect health the
night previous TO their examination; they
slept soundly; the elder one arose early
in the morning. and left the younger one
in bed still asleep; he remained so for two
hours more. having slept altogether for
more than ten hours, when he awoke in a
state OF complete insanity. The same
author likewise relates the case Of a gen.
tleman who iell asleep with his head rest
ing on his hands. folded together before
him on the table after dinner. On awakng.
one arm was paralyzed. and remained
paralytic- to the day OF his death, which
: followed not long aherwer.s-- Eise cele-
brated General Elliott. Frederic the Great,
aud John Hunter, seldom slept more than
four or five hours in the twenty -four, DR..
Macnish mentions lady, in perfect health
who never slept more than three or four
hours in the twenty-four, and then only q
half an hour at a time. General Pichegru
according to Sir Gilbert Blame, had only
one hours sleep in the same space Of time,
for whole year. The venerable ST. Au-
gustine, OF Hippo, prudently divided bis
hours in three parts: eight he devoted TO
sleep eight 10 recreation, and eight to con-
verse with the world. De Molvre SLEPT
twenty hours out OF the twenty four. Quinn
the celebrated player, could athis pleasure
slumber twen,y-four hours in succession;
and DIR. Reid could. when he liked, take
as much food and sleep as much sleep as
| would serve him for couple OF days
Theo1osius, falling asleep in the morning.
watch Of his last grea, battle, saw in dreams
an apparition that assured him of yicto.
} ry over his desperate foe Eugenius; and
| the issue OF the forthcoming day verified
: conceded with this strange presentiment
The Dauphin, son of the unfortunate
Louis XVI, the descendant Of the Sover
! eigns Of France and Navarro. shut up ir
loa,hsome nook, with hole in the wall
through which his scanty rations were
, thrust, was killed by the want OF sleep
, His feverish temples were scarcely Iait
upon his pallet, when stern voice pealed
round the walls-C Capet ou es tu? doris tu!
By reinemen, OF cruelty of this descrip
S ton, his ductile and confding spirit, drawn
out to the last gasp. silently gave up tht
A ghost, on the 9Th Of June, in his tenti
year, 1875.
! The famous ST. Dominic never reposet
except on the floor, or the bare boards
which served him for bed. ST. Bona
: ventura, one OF the FIRST Franciscans, mad,
use Of common stone Of some size, in
. stead Of pillow: and ST. Peter Of Alcan
> tara slept but one hour and half in tn,
E twenty-four hours for forty years together
:: either kneeling or standing. with his heat
/. leaning aside, on little piece of woot
: fastened for that purpose in the wall. III
e usually ate but once in three days; ye. h,
lived to be old, though his body was $,
attenuated and weak that it seemed to b.
composed Of the roots of trees, and hi
: skin so parched that i, resembled the DIR.
d bark Of tree, rather than flesh. Peopl
e may sleep in all sorts OF postures. Ac
d cording 10 Mr.. Wilkinson. the ancien
a Egy plians, who. as every body knows
s shaved their scalps, slept with their head
h resting on an iron prong. like that of
pitch.fork, welted with something soi
v This they did for the sake OF keeping thei
v heads cool, which they supposed strength
l. ened their wits. The position will slee
J.. on horseback, and the sentinel at his pos
1t An entire battalion OF infantry have bee
IS known to sleep on the march. tits abor
v three or four o'clock in the morning this
Al this propensity to sleep is the most ove'
l. |powering-the, moment seized upon b
e troops for driving in the evenings outpost
land takino the biyouac bv surprise. Mp