Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-09-16
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The kind Of bed on which the body
should rest 10 q question on which theFg
il extreme divergence Of opinion.--
Whenever we. leave our own bed 20 20
20 sleep elsewhere, I'm hotel a. IN the
house of friend, IL Is almost certain we
shall end bed different from that to
which we are accustomed. Wemay iind
bed of down 50 son that 10 drop into V
IS like dropping into light dough; W.
may find soft feather bed, or soit
mattress. moderately hard mattress.
o. = mattress nearly as hard q she planls
bed sometimes found II Fyrisona. IheBu
differences are determined BY the taste
Of the owner OF the bed, without much
reference to principle or TO lhe likings
Of any one else in the world-not
very good or satisfactory state OF things.
There ought to be some principle for
guidance in a trial so solemn as that
which settles the mode in which our
bodies shall rest for a third of our mo-
raj existence.
II is hard TO fix on definite principles,
hut there is one principle, that at any rate.
which may be relied on, and which
when II is understood, goes long way
toward solving the question OF the best
kind OF bed for all sleepers. The Prin-
ciple is that the bed, whatever it be
made of. should be so flexible, IL the
term may be used, that all parts OF the
body may rest upon il equally. II
ought TO adapt itself to the outline of
the body in whatever position the body
NAV be placed. The very hard mat
tress which yields nothing. and which
makes the body rest on two or three
points Of corporeal surface, is at once
excluded from use by this principle.
and no imposition ought 10 be excluded
more vigorously. On The other hand,
is enveIoped in il, though il may b"
very LUXURIOUS, is too oppressive, hot
and enfeeblIng; IL keeps up regular
fever which cannot fail 10 exhaust both
physical and mental energies, and at
the same time itreally does not adapt it
self perfectly TO the outline Ot the body.
On the subject of bedclotheS the
points that have most 10 be enforced
are that heavy bedcIoihing is always q
mistake, and that weight in no true
sense means warmth. The light down
quilts or coverlcts which now coming
into general use are the greatest i'm
provemeuls that have been made in our
time in regard TO bedcloihes. ORe OF
these quilts takes we'll the place oftwo
blankets, and they cause much less fa-
tigue from weight than layer upon layer
of blanket covering.
As 10 the actual quantity OF clothes
which should be OH the sleeper, no rule
of numbers or quantities can be laid
down, because different people require
such different amounts. Nevertheless
there is one very good practice which
every person should learn TO apply. IL
should be the rule 10 learn so TO adapt
the clothing that the body isn never cold
and never hot while under the clothes.
The first rule is usually followed and
need not be dwelt on: the last is too
commonly broken. II is a practice too
easily acquired TO sleep under so mucis
clothing that the body becomes excess
sively heated. feverishly heated. This
condition gives rise 10 exhaustion, 10
disturbing dreams, 10 headache, dys~
pepsia, and 10 constipation. II Is 80
injurious that il is better to sleep Wills
too little than with too much clothing
over the body.