The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-03

asleep, while, as rule robust persons re-
qutfe less sleep than do those who are weak.
According 10 John Wesley, who gives II as
his experience after sixty years close obser.
walton, a man in health requires from six
TO seven hours sleep, and q healthy woman
from seven to eight. The great founder in
MethOdism, who dabbled in therapeutics
at times, declares that sleep "is preferable
to any medicine which have known, both
for preventing and removing nervous dis
orders" Indeed medicine is Of very little
avail In such cases. The physician who
prescribes opium, NChloral, or bromide Of
potassium, except in very peculiar cases,
knows he is doing wrong He Is injuring
his patient permanently, and aggravates
the trouble he Is pretending To remove. In
sleep, II Is only the brain and nervous
system which arc at rest. All the func.
lions Of the body 60 on as usual. The ner.
vous Centes are repaired and strengthened,
and doubtless the brain is in some way re.
yitalized by the "honey.heayy dew OF Stun.
ber." Much Of the difficulty in dealing
with insomnia Is the reaction OF the mind
upon the body through the brain. Bust.
ness cares, mental distress, ora heavy
sorrow will make person wakeiul, even
when all the physical functions arc in
perfect order.
What, then, Is a wakeful person to do II
medicine is Of no avail2 There are certain
hygienic rules which It is well TO bear in
mind, rs well as certain practices, some OF
which arc whimsical, but which really do
sometimes induce slumber. During sleep
the blood in the head becomes lessened in
quantity. There are physiological reasons
Tor believing that normally healthy person
should sleep after every hearty meal. d.
gcstlon requires determination OF blood |
TO the stomach, SO us to stimulate the ma
chinery by which the food is assimiIated
In the system. Hence, all through the
brutal creation, sleep follows the taking OF |
foad.
The siCstn, or the nap after dinner, which |
Is the custom among the well to do in all
hot countries, is sensible and healthiul
1t is true that people who par
take OF their principal meal between day.
light and dark, aud who do not usually eat
before going to bed, are often disturbed in
their sleep when they take late supper;
but this because they have broken in upon
u habit, The stomach and all its related
organs rebel ut unexpected demands upon
them. A habit Of late eating once estab-
lished tends rather To help sleep, for the
blood is Withdrawn from the brain by the
demands OF the digestive department OF the
system, One Of the cures for dyspepsia Is
in forming the habit Of sleeping after partak-
ing OF the principal meal Of the day. 1t has
been given the uncouth term Of the "hog
cure" for gastric disturbances.
To induce sleep the eadshould be placed
somewhat higher than the rest OF the body.
II wakeiulness is apprehended the applica.
ton OF cold water to the head and nape of
the neck, while in a tcpid bath, has been
found useful, for it helps to draw the blood
to the body, the condition precedent 10 oil
healthful slumber. Cold feet should be
guarded against. warm ioot-bath has
often been found eilicacious against insom-
nia. Feather-beds and pillows, which heat
the back Of the head, are Objectionable, and
is much more successfully wooed
while lying on the side than on the back.
Nightmare is rare visitor to persons sleep.
ing on the right or left side. The origin Of
frightlu dreams can often be traced to
habit OF sleeping flat on the back, which, in
some persons, SO impresses the nervous GEN.
tiers as to create the vibrations in the brain
which induce unpleasant sensations in
sleep.