The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-04-11
A CHAPTER ON SLEEP.
BY AN OLD PHYSICIAN

A CHAPTER ON SLEEP.
BY AN OLD PHYSICIAN.
How much sleep, doctor, does man
require? is question almost daily put
to physicians The answer is as obvious
and common as the interrogatory-'S Some
constitutions require more and some less.
My belief, is, however, that ninety-nine
persons out of hundred both eat and
sleep more than is beneficial.
Barry, in his work on digestion, has
made whimsical calculation on the ten
dency OF sleep toprolcng life He asserts
that the duration of human life may be
ascertalned by the number of pulsations
which the individual is able to perform.
Thus, if a mans life extends to seventy
years, and his heart throbs sixty times
each minute. the whole number Of its
puisations will amount to 2, l07, 52O, 900;
but it, by intemperance, or any other
cause, he raises the pulse to seventy-fve
In the minute, the same number of pub
sations would be completed in ffty-six
years, and the duration of life abbreviat-
Ell fourteen years. Arguing from these
data, he alleges that sleep has a tendency
TO prolong life, as, during its continuance.
the pulsstions are less numerous than in
the waking state.
This IS a very comfortable doctrine for
sluggards, but unfortunately it is falIac-
lous. l have read somewhere of Ger
man philosopher, who contended, that
sleep was the state Of being most natural
to man, and that his waking hours
should not constitute more than one
third Of his existence. Unlike most
theorists, he undertook to test the truth
OF his doctrine upon himself and tiozed
away the greater part of his time The
consequence was, that he soon lost the
small intellectual capital he had, and
lapsed INTO a state resembling idiocy
Apoplexy at length finished his expert
ment.
There is an old saying, that-six hours
are enough for a man, seven for a woman,
and eight for fool. It is calculated that
one-half Of a ehild's life is passed in
sleep, and one quarter to one sixth the
male existence; but for old age there is
no liked period or limit. Old Parr slept
almost constantly about the close of life
while Or. Gooch records the case of one
whose period OF sleep, was one-quarter of
an hour IN twenty-four. 1t is well to
lnure child to a gradual diminution Of
Its time OF sleep, SO that at ten years old
Its period should be about eight hours
With regard to the necessary quantity
OF sleep Tor adults, SO much depends upon
Its age, constitution and employment, that
1t is impossible to lay down rules of gen
eral application As a precept, however,
for the regulation of sleep in energetic
constitutions, the wise distribution which
King Alfred made of his own time into
three equal periods, may be recommend
ed, one being passed in sleep, diet and
exercise, one In despatch Of business, and
one in study and devotion.
Jeremy Taylor states that three hours
only IN the tWentyfour should be devot--
ed to sleep.
Baxster extends the period of four
hours Wesley to six. Lord Coke and Sir
John Sinclair to eight. With the last Of
these Macnish is disposed to coincide, and
says: Taking the average of mankind,
we shall come as nearly as possible to the
truth when we say that nearly one third
part OF life ought to be spent in sleep;
IN some cases even more might be neces-
sary, and II few can a much smaller Dor
ton be safely dispensed with. No per
son who passes only eight hours in bed
can be said to waste has time in sleep.
According to Georget, women should
sleep a couple Of hours longer than men.
For the latter, he allows six or seven
hours, for the former, eight to nine. [
doubt, however, if the female constitution.
generally speaking, requires more sleep
than the male; at least it is certain that
women endure protracted wakefulness
better than men, but whether this may
result from custom is question worthy
of being considered
It's certain that strength or energy of
brain will, when aided by custom. modify
the faculty of controlling the disposition
to slumber. Frederick the Great. and
Hunter, the great surgeon, slept only five
hours In the twenty-tour; while Napol-
con seemed to exert despotic power
over sleep, and waking, even amid the
roaring Of artillery. An engineer has
been known to fal asleep within boiler
While his fellows were beating it on the
outside with ponderouS hammers, and
the repose OF a miller is nowise incom-
NODDED by the noise of his mill Sound
ceases to be stimulus to such men, and
what would have proved an inexpressible
annoyance to others, Is by them altogeth-
er unheeded. 1t is common for carriers
to sleep on horseback, and coachmen on
their coaches. During the battle of the
Nile some of the boys were so exhausted,
that they fell asleep on the deck, amid
the deafening thunder Of that terrible
engagement -
Captain Barclay, when performing his
eXtraordlnaryste feat of walking a mile an
hour for thousand consecutive hours.
obtained at last such mastery over him
self. that he fell asleep the moment he
lay down. = sas4A.sf ssSNssisas5'
The faculty of remaining asleep for
great length of time is possessed bvssome
individuals. Such was the case with
Quin, who could sleep for twenty four
hours successfully; with Elizabeth Orvin
who spent three fourths- of her life in
sleep; with Elizabeth Perkins, who slept
for a week or fortnight at time; with
Mary Lyall, who did the same for success
sive weeks; and with many others, more.
OF less remarkable In Bowers Gift of
D. A &c