Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-09-17
Sleep and Light.

Sleep is the most powerful restorative of
the system It renews the daily ebb of fife.
and arrests its happy flow, recruiting the ex-
haustion produced 10y its drains and tolls, and
tear There is no invariabse rule for all per-
sons with the respect TO amount Of time of
sleep It is regulated by the age, constitution
and habits of the individual. Dnring the en-
tire period Of the growth Of the BODY, the
more sleep the more food il requires to repair
| the wants Of the structures, and to restore
their sensibilty and irrtaGHsy, exhausted by
the incessaut activity of the waking period
Hence those who use mach exertion sleep
souHdest. In the prime of life waste is not so
great, and less supply is necessary. In old
age, when the waste Of the vital powers is
least Of ALL there is the smallest necessity for
sleep. But the very extremes of kfe unite i'm
sleeping away most of the time. Too little
sleep, relatively to the activity Of the body ex-
hausts the irritability of the system, inducing
dullness siuggishness unwieldness and corpa~
lance. Eight hours for youths and six hours
for adults ii about an average for sleep.
For sleep to be speedy and perfect, all cares
emotions, and thoughts should be laid aside
with ones clothes. Aud every external ex-
citefHeBt Of the nerres, as BY sounds, lights,
had better be dispensed with, and people
should accustom themselves to sleep with part
of he window open. Early rising, and the
habits it inculcates. are conducive to health
and longevity Necessitating early retirement
to rest induces regularity of hours and habits
-withdraws from many temptations to bane-
full eouyiviality and excesses, and facilitates
the advantageous employment of the early
morning. Ii is improper to rest for the night
on q full meal two or three hours after sHp-
per is the best time the body rises lighter
and more refreshed the next morning Dur
ing the middle Of the hot DAYS Of summer, an
hours sleep after dinner is often necessary in
diligence, especially TO those engaged in labo-
rious pursuits and cannot be otherwise than
beneficial to health.
4 few hours taken from the usual morning
rest will be replaced bJ an hours sleep in the
Afternoon. This ~as the practice of John
Hunter, and is the custom of the inhabitants
Of the south of Europe. A horse hair mat
traSs is in every way preferable to feather
bed Overload or deficiency Of bed-clothes is
equally to be avoided During the day they
should be taken off and left to air on the back
of chairs, DC, as is the usage in Italy. Light
is an agent indispensable to health. Tegeta-
hle as well as human being. deprived of its
influence are blanched The former are al.
so changed in their taste and other proper
ties.
The flesh OF the latter is rendered soft, fab
by paSty, and SalIew The tissues areinftret-.
ed with pale liquids the blood sbouuds nndg.
ly in serum the ibrine and colcring matters
are in defect. This is observed in persons who
work under ground. prisoners immured in dun
gcons, in the inhabitants Of narrow, dark
street IS aud lanes, in the cretiu, of the deep
shaded Alpine vaileys-and in the natives Of
polar regions, who are for more than half the
year, without the light Of the sun.
Those, on the other hand, who are constant
II exposed 10 the rays Of the sun. or who go
entirely naked as the New Zealanders, tho
Nexicans, the Peruvians, the North American
Indians, have thick rough. freckled. deep red.
tswny skius-forid blood. muscular bodies,
perfect forms These are the united results of
constant isolation and exercise. The spplics-
ton of these facts TO the physical education Of
youth must not I've lost Lympathic. scrofal-
Gus cannot be too much in the cren air Too
much exposure 10 the sun, however, especially
Of the naked head, produces headache, apo
p'exy, inflammation OF The membranes Of the
brain, insanity, &c-PAiiosePhy IF MiEerqE
Tafers By Dr. BiLirVFe.