The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-05-24

Sleep is necessary law Of the animal
economy, and is the suspension Of animal
life. During It's continuance the creature
is under the influence Of organic life alone.
Organic life applies to the functions which
sustain and nourish the object; animal
life 10 those which make II a sentient
being, which give it a thought, feeling and
motion, and bring it into communication
with the surrounding world. The diges-
tive organs, the kidneys, the heart, and the
lungs are the apparatus which carry into
effect the organic life Of animals. Those
which manifest animal life are the brain,
the organs Of the senses, and the volunta-
ry powers Sleep is the intermediate
state between wakefulness and death,
wakefulness being regarded as the active
state Of all the animal and intellectual
functions, and death their total suspen-
sion. Complete sleep is a temporary in
tellectual death, though not an organic
one--the heart and lungs performing their
Offices with their accustomed regularity
under the control Of the involuntary mus
cles. This is the sleep Of health, and Is
full Of tranquility and repose by which
nature recruits the wasted powers, and re-
stores our nervous energies. When this
is accomplished, slumbcr vanishes, languor
is succeeded by strength and all Of the
faculties, metal aud corporeal, are recruit
ed. In this delightful repose man assim-
ilates that state in which Adam sprang
from his Creators hand, fresh, houyant,
and vigorous, rejoicing as man ready TO
run his course, his mind and body prepar-
cd for exertiOn.
Night is the time for sleep. Darkness
and the silence Of nature court repose, as
the light Of the newborn day invites US to
activity and labor. In fact, there exists q
strange bu. certain sympathy between the
period of day and night, and the perform
ance Of particular functions during these
periods that is not the mere effect Of Gus
tom. All nature awakes with the rising
sun. The birds begin to sing, the bees tC
fly about with murmurous delight; the
flowers, which close under the embrace o.
darkness, unfold themselves with renewed
beauty TO the light, for plants sleep Al
well as animals; the cattle arise TO croV
the dewy herbage, and man goes forth 4
his labor until the evening. At the clos
Of the day the instructive nature of anima
shows the reverse of all this activity an,
motion. The songs Of the birds, one afte
another, become hushed, till at length al
: is silence, and nature is left TO sleep, ami
: the falling dews; action is succeeded b
. listlessness, energy by langour, the desir
: for exertion by the inclination for repost
I and sleep, with her leaden scepter, hold
e her dominion over the world.
! Many facts can be related which sati
j. factorily prove the advantages Of sleepin
i during the night instead Of the da
It An experiment was made by two eolone
, Of horse in the French army, who had di
}. puted much which period Of the twent
G four hours was the fttest for marching al
n for repose. As this was a very interestiI
is subject, 10 a military point Of view,
], have it ascertained, they obtained lea,
n from the commanding officer to try Il
i experiment One Of them, although,
Al was in the heat Of summer, marched
the day and rested at night, and he arri
ss ed at tho Termination Of march Of 8
u hundred miles without the loss Of eth
j, man or horse. Tho other, who conceiv
s. il would be less fatiguing 10 march duril
Is the cool Of the evening and part of q
E, night than in the heat Of the day, at d
a end Of the same march had lost q gre
is many Of his horses and men, and mu,
J. sickness prevailed among his troops. II