Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-02-15
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Barry, In his work ON Digestion, has
made whimsical calculation on the tend
eney Of sleep to prolong life. He asserts
that the duration Of human life may be as
certafned by the number of puisations
which the individual is able to perform.
Thus. IL q mans life extends to seventy
years, and his heart throbs sixty times each
minute, the whole number OF its pulsationsl
win amount TO 2,2O7, $40 900; but, IL By in
temperance, or any other cause, be raises
the pulse to seyentY-iive in minute, the
same number Of pulsatiOns would be conn
pleted in lifty.six years. Arguing from
these data, he alleges that sleep has q tend
ency to prolong life, as during Its continTr
ance the puIsatlons are less numerous than
in the waking state. ifri lfa-t 1aat9
This is a very comfortable doctrine for
sIageafds, bat nuntOEtunatsly it is falla.
oio1s. A. German philosopher eontended
that sleep was the state Of being most nat
ural to man, and that his waking hours
should not constitute more than One-third
0f his existence. Unlike most theorists be
undertook to test the truth of his doctrine
upon himself; and dozed away the greater
mart of his time. The consequence was
that be soon lost the small intellectual
capacity he had, and lapsed into a state re-
sefnbling idiocy. Apoplexy at length
finished DIS experiment.. triig
There Is an old saying that sSix hours
are enough for man, seven for woman,
and eight for q fool.n 1t Is calculated that
one-half of a child,s life Is passed In sleep,
and one nnarter 10 one-sixth Of the adult
existence; but for old age there Is no fixed
period or limit. Old Parr slept almost
constantly about the close OF his life;
while Dr.. G0och records che case Of one
whose period Of sleep wasOnly onesquartef
81 an hour IN the twenty-four. Itis well
TO inure a child to gradual diminutlon OF
its time 10 sleep, so that at ten years old It's
period should be about eight hours.
With regard tOthe necessary quantity Of
sleen for adults, 50 much depends upon age,
constitution and employment, that 1t Is inn
possible to lay down rules for general ap-
plication. AS precept however, for the
regulation of sleep in energetic constitu-
lions, the wise distribution which King
Alfred made Of his own time into three
equal periods, may be recommended-one
being passed In sleepy diet aud exercise,
one In dispatch of business, and one In
study and devotion. Jeremy Taylor states
that three hours only IN the tweutysfOur
should be devoted to sleep. Baxter exs
tends the period to four hours, Wesley to
six. Lord Coke and Sir-Wllliam Jones to
seven. aud Sir John Sinclair to eight. With
the last of these Macnish Is disposed to
oOiueIde and saws aTalifig the average
ol mankind, we shall come as nearly as
p0ssibIe TO the truth when we say that
nearly one-Ehird part OF life ought TO be
spent In sleep; In some cases even more may
be necessary, and In rev can much small
er portion be safely dispensed with. No
pefs6n who passes only eight hours in bed
can be said b waste bis time Ii sleep.n z I
According t0lGorget q woman should
elcepH couple or hours longer than Q man.
For the inter he allows six or seven hours,
for the former eight or nines / doubt,
however, II the female constitution, gen.
ernily speaking, requires more sleep than
the male; st least il IS certain that women
endure protfacted Watehfulness better than
men, bnt whether this may result from
custom Is question worthy Of being con-
sidefed,
It Is cortain that strength or energy Of
brain will, when aided BY custom, modify
the f,culty Of controlling the disposition, 70
eiunib6f. Frederick the Great, aud Hunter,
the great surgeon, slept only five hours in
the twenty -four, while Napoleon seemed 70
exert de3Dotic power over sleep and walk
Ing even amid the roar Of artillery. An en-
alneer has been known to fall asleep with
IA boiler while bis fellows were beating
on the outside with their. ponderous ham,
nars and the rep0ee Of q miller Is in no
wise iiieomnloded By the noise Of his mill.
Sound ceases 10 be stimulus TO such men,
md what would have proved an incxpressl
} q eannoyance TO others, is TO them alt0geth--
sr nnheededs II Is common for carriers TO
1leep on horseback, and cOachmen on thoi 7
coaches. During the battle Of the Nile,
SOME bows were SO exhausted that they fell
1aIoon "a the deck amid the deafeninQ
fhuniIer of that terrible engagement.
Tie faculty. of remaining dsleep for q
great lenRfh oI time Is possessed By some
individuals. Such was the case WITH Quin,
the celebrated player, who could sluInbeF
fof fwenty.Iour hours BucoessiFelY, wilhl|
orgin, who spent threg-iourthg