The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1853-08-31

injuries rather more stringent and intoler-
able than the stamp act and tea duties
which! nerved his bolder brother America.
Sleeping on Feather Beds.
Sleeping on soft BEDS says q writer in
the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal.
while treating of the causes of consump-
lion, SIS practice Of almost universal pre-
valence, at the present day, throughout the
civilized world; yet perhaps there are few
practices that have a more pernicious in
iuence on tine young than this. Sleep is
as necessary TO life as food; the exhausted
excitablity Of the system must be prepar-
ed, as we'll as the channels OF nutrition
supplied. but excessive luxuries in either
are injurious to health, and the epicure in
one is as irrational as the epicure in the
other. Children and youth who are &C.
customed to sleep on soft beds during the
warm season, require more than ordinary
force of constitution not to be injured by
/ it,
In speaking, in this place, of soft beds,
it is believed that the writer refers princi-
pally to feathers; for we know not why the
mere circumstances of beds being soft
should be very strong objection to its use.
1t is true, that il is an almost universal
practice with physicians, to place their pa
tents who are greatly debilitated, in many
diseases, on hard beds; but we have sup
posed it was chiefly because feather beds
were obviously injurious, and hard beds
were the only convenient substitute. We
do not know, however, but too much Of
mere soitness is injurious, even to persons
in health.
But as to tile use of feathers, especially
in summer. We believe there is now scarce
ly division Of opinion, among those
whose opinion is OF any value. Some re-
| iect them both in summer and winter
| Even DIR. Dung gleson-and if he makes the
concession, who will not!-admits that
| .on the whole, perhaps the ordinary hair
mattress is best adapted for both summer
and winter .....s.,s.=
Perhaps it may not be easy to give
satisfactory account ofthe manner in which
beds Of feathers so generally operate to
produce weakness, as to have set the whole
medical world against them; but that such
is their tendency, we believe few. very
few. will have the hardhood to deny.
Every one who has slept much on featll-
ers must have observed, however, that the
air of the room where he sleeps always
appears to be more impure and oppress-
i've when he rises in the morning, than
when the bed consists of other materials;
and that the lungs, in particular. are more
affected by it. To some persons, the op-
preston is quite iniolerable. 1t is believ-
ed that this arises from peculiar kind OF
effiuvia which the feathers emit. AID
hence it is, perhaps, that feather beds tond
to induce consumption.
Besides, feathers do, in fact, however
difficult it may be to accout for it, stimu.
late the surface Of the body-the cuticular
system-more than any other soft materi-
al, as well as cause a greater degree OF
perspiraton; and this of a more relaxing
kind, too, than perspiration induced by
other causes. The loins and kidneys ap
pear to be more affected, and indeed, the
system. in general appears TO suffer more.
There are thousand other causes in
perpetual operation to produce this fatal
malady, besides feather beds, it is true.
These may, and most unquestionably do,
slay their thousands; but abuses in eating.
drinking, dress. and formidable list Of
other causes, almost too numerous to men
ton, slay their tens OF thousands-nay,
their millions.
A fact came under our notice, not long
since. which may be worth relating. 1t is
true it is only one fact, but so far as it goes,
its language is most striking.
A Boston boy, about nine years Of age,
has been accustomed to 60 out of the city
fifteen or twenty miles, every Spring, to
spend few weeks in the family of his
grand mother. He is usually somewhat
feeble at this season, but the journey, and
the residence there of few weeks, always
restores him 10 more than his wonied Wig.
! or.
We said always; but last Spring, this
effect failed of being produced. The boy
continued as pale and feeble after his re-
moval as before; indeed he was rather
more so. What could be the cause?
1t happened that the boy had never slept
on feathers at home, nor until now. when
abroad. But in this instance, the good
grand mother had forgotten to take off her
feather bed. Il see now.' said she, 'wha.
the matter Is with Johns and so removed
the feather bed and gave him a mattress.
He Immediately began to increase in Wig
or, and soon became uncommonly healthy.
Can there be a stronger case than this?
And yet the world is full of facts not un-
like it. Why then do not people make the
natural and legitimate inference?
o. Taking the value of the cube yard
of gold at $1O.00O,O0o. which it is in
round numbers. all the gold in the world.
at this estimate, might, if melted into in
gots, be contained in cellar "a feet
square by 16 feet high. All the boasted
wealth already obtained from California
and Australia would 60 into an iron safe
nine feet high. So small is the cube of
yellow metal that has set populations on
the march, and reused the world towon.
der.