The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-09-22
TEE PosL..9. IN SLEEPING

equator anu I've uoVA ~ 'U- lluo a. 'hu
needle to the pole, reporter found
Dr. J. 5. Wright, Professor of Operative
and Clinical Surgery in the Long Island
College Hospital.
Have YOU paid any attention to the
subject Of sleeping with the feet to the
equator rs a means OF promoting
health?' was asked.
when ! was Young man, the
doctor replied, laughing, Il read some
thing on the subject, and arranged my
bed that way for short time, and i'm
agined | was benefited y
"And did you continue the practice?'
NO; | came TO the conclusion that
the benefit was imaginary, and ! never
thought it necessary to try it with my
children. "
'Do you know of any medical treat
Use on the subject?'
II do not am sure it is never
treated in medical lectures, and | never
heard it discussed in any scientific
BODY
did YOU ever know Of any hospital
where any attention was paid to that
theory in the arrangement of the
beds?n
Never. | have always seen the
beds arranged according to the conven
fence of the room. They point 10 all
points of the compass.
HAS the subject of the placing Of
the bed ever been considered, so far as
you know, from scientific stand
point?'
Not at all; the very foundation of
scientific discussion is lacking. There is
no data, 10 careful record Of expert
ence that can be tested, compared and
aualyzed Nor do see how it could
be possible. 1t would be necessary to
secure a number Of patients in precise.
ly the same conditions both as to per
sonai peculiafities and surroundings,
IL there be any scientific truth in the
theory it must Of necessity be such that
experiments could be repeated and re
suits demonstrated. y
But YOU yourself imagined 70"
were benefited, and others have like
wise come to the same conclusion,
True; but isolated cases OF that
hid rvova nothing Until | get more
evidence shall 50 'noi'nrd to thiuk IN"
position OF The bed has very if any in.
nuenCe upon health.
MAY there not be some truth in the
suggestion that the direction of the
body may have an important relation to
the circulation OF the blood that the
worst position is east and west, and that
the magnetic current running north and
south indicates the way our bodies
ought to lie in sleep?'
There may be truth in it, but | do
not know that there is. think ! first
read of it in the writings of Andrew
Jackson Davis, the author OF Divine
Revelations, have recollection
that there was something said about tn,
influence of 'odic force. But as vet,
have no proof tha, there is such cur
rent, or that it has any effect upon a
man 5 body, or That it would not do a
man quite as much good if it were tc
90 through him sideways, On all these
points science is silent
DR.. McCorklc, Professor of Matera
Medica and Therapeutics in the LONG
Island College Hospital, was interviewed
through the telephone, and he said h,
knew OF no medical literature on tn,
subject; that be- believed the theory O
placing the bed north and south wa
more believed in by the laiety than b,
the medical profession; that he haC
never tried it himself, seen it tried b,
ANYBODY, nor heard that it had beef
tried in any hospital,
Mr., McWbgch. Of the same hospital
said that lie had heard Of the theory
several years ago, and, out Of curiosity
had placed his bed in that position but
he bad not found that he derived any
advantage from 1t. He had observed
That when be lay uncomfortable hi.
sleep was disturbed, whichever way the
bed was placed He had served in
hospitals in Germany, and he never
knew that any attention was paid, either
IN them or any other hospitals, to the
position OF the bed,
Another physician said, This il not
so silly as II might at first seem. |
nave seen some results in nv own
practice that might be attributed to
TINS cause Possibly some people
would be affected more than others
and some would not be affected a, ALL
1t would be an easy thing 10 note the
relative healthlulneS9 Of houses where
the beds are arranged in the way indi.
Gated. Where houses face east and
west the beds are probably placed north
and south. A very little attention ,e
the subject might bring out valuabl,
facts.
A venerable physician said M,
opinion is that 1t is piece of nonsens,
worthy OF some supersttious old lady
would rank 1t with fortune-t telling an,
table-tipping Some people believe il
them Some people derive benefit from
having charms about their persons, an,
there is no particular harm in ,hei
wearing them II they see fit hav,
heard OF man who carried horse
chestnut in his pocket as preventiv,
OF hemorrhoids. lie declared tina
whenever he lost his horse -chos,pu, IN,
disease returned. Yet never heard o
any physician prescribing that mode o