The Portland daily press., 1878-11-21
Philosophy of Position in Repose.

There is reason for everything if we can
only find it out, but it is sometimes very hard
to discover the reasons of even the very SIM
plest things. Every one who has travelled
much, and even those who have merely looked
through books of travels, must have bsen struck
by the variety of attitudes assumed by the peo-
pie OF different Countries. The Hindoo sits
down on the ground with his knees drawn nm
close to his body so that his chin will almost
rest upon them; thu Turk squats down cross
legged; the European sits on q chair, while the
American often raises his legs to level with
MS neao. Nor are the postures assumed by
the same people under varying circumstances
less diverse. Climate or season, for example
will cause considerable alteration in the pos-
ture assumed, as was we'll shown bv Alma
Iadema IN his pictures Of the four seasons ex-
nlDitea IN the academy a year ago. In his
representation of Summer he painted a woman
leaning backward on ledge with one leg
loosely hanging down while the other was
drawn up SO that the foot was on level with
the body. In the picture of Winter. on the
up in trout of the belly. The reason for these
different postures has been explained by Ros-
enthal The temperature of the BODY as ia
we'll known, 10 kept up and regulated by the
circulation Of the blood througt&it, and great
proportion Of the blood contained in the whole
body circulates in the vessels of the intestines.
Now the intestines are only separated from the
external air by thin abdominal wallis. and
there fore any change of temperature will readi-
ly act upon them, unless they be guarded by
some additional protection. The Hindoos are
well aware OF this, and they habitually prote ct
the belly by means of thick shawls or cum-
merbund, thus guarding themselves against
any sudden change of the temperature. This
precaution is also frequently adopted by Euro-
pean residents in hot climates, and is even re-
tanned by them after returning to England.
Bat the function of the cnmmerbund NAV to
certain extent be fulfilled by change of posture
alone. When the legs are drawn up as in the
picture Of Winter talready referred to.
the thighs partially cover the abdo.
men, and taking the place Of additional cloth
ing aid the abdominal walls in protecting the
intestnes and the blood they contain from the
cooling influence of the external air. Thus IL
is that in cold weather. when the quantity Of
covering in bed is insufficient, persons naturally
draw up their legs toward the abdomen, SO as
10 retain as much heat as possible before going
to sleep. In hot weather, on the contrary.
they wish to expose the abdomen as much a.
possible to the cooling influence of the atmos-
phere. The posture depicted by Alma Tadema
is the most efficient for this purpose. 1t no
doubt answers the purpose to lie down fat on
ones back, but in this position the abdominal
walls are more or less tight, whereas, when one
OF the legs is drawn up, as in the painting lust
alluded to, the walls are relaxed. and. the
lntestines not being subject to any pressure,
the blood IN them will circulate more rapidly,
and the cooling process be carried on more
effectually. In this attitude, also, the thighs
are completely separated and loss of heat
allowed from their whole suIf Ace.-Na ature