Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-08-24

TheAhd q hed % Witch tha Dody,
should fest Is aquestion on which thefe
is extreme divergence Of opinion. When
ever we leave our own bed to 60 to sleep
elssw here, in q hotel or in the house o
a friend, 1t Is almost certain we shall
finda bed differing from that 70 which
we are accustomed. We may hpda bed
of down so soft that to drop into 1t is
like dropping into light dough; we may
find soft feather bed, or soft mat
tress, or a spring mattress, moderately
hard mattress. or mattress nearly as
hard as the plank bed sometimes found
in prisons. These differences are deter
mined by the taste of the owner of the
bed. without much reference to princi-
pie or to the likings of any one else in
the world-not very good or satisfac-
tory state of things. There ought to be
some principle for guidance in trial so
solemn rs that W hiob settles the mode. in
which our bodies shall rest for a third
Of our talexistence. p 81
1t is hard TO fix on definite principles.
but there is one principle. at any rate,
which may be relied on, and which
when it is understood. goes n long way
toward solving the question Of the best
kind of bed for all sleepers. The prin-
ciple is that the bed, whatever IL be made
of, should be so flexible. If the term may
be used, that all parts Of the body may
rest upon It equally. 1t ought to adapt
itself to the outline OF the. body in
whatever position the body may be
placed. The very hard mattress which
yields nothing. and which makes the
body rest on two or three points OF cor
poreA surface. is at once excluded from
use by this principle, and no imposition
ought TO be excluded more vigorously.
On the other hand, the bed that's so sof.
that the body is enveloped in it. though
Il may he very luxurious, is 100 oppres-
sive. hot and eniecbling; it keeps up ?
regular fever which cannot fail to OK
haust both physical and mental ener'
gies, and at the same time II really doe
not adap, itself perfectly to the outline
of the body.
On the subject of bedelothes the points
that hare most TO be enforced are that
heavy bcdclothing is always a mistake.
and that weight in no true sense means
warmth. The ligh; down quits or COW
erlets which are now coming in" gen.
eral use arc the greatest impyoyenen,s
tina; have been made in our time in re-
gard TO bedclothes. One OF these quilts
takes well the place of two blankets and
they' cause much less fatigue from
weight than layer upon layer OF blanket
covering.
As 10 the actual quantity of clothes
which should be on 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 prac;icc which
every person should learn 10 apply. II
should be the rule to learn 30 10 adap,
The clothing that the body is never cold
and mover hot while under the clothes.
The first rule is usually followed and
iced not be dwelt on; the last is too
commonly broken. II is practice tor
easily acquired 10 sleep under so much
clothing that the body BECOMES Excess
sively heated, feverishly heated. This
condition gives rise TO exhaustion, to
disturbing dreams, to headache, dys.
pepsia, and to constipation. II is so IN
furious that it is better to sleep with too
little than with too much clothing over
the body. ''.t