Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-17
THE Position m sLEEPING.
Should the Head be Toward the North
or any Other Point of the Compass?
Nan TorL Cam

Seeking information on the alleged dis
cOyery by Baron Reichenbach, of Ger
many, that human health is promoted by
sleeping with the feet to the equator and
the body lying true as the needle to the
pole" reporter asked venerable and
very prominent physician for his opinion.
He said:
MY opinion is that it is a piece of nom
sense worthy Of some superstitious old
lady. l would rank it with fortune tell
ing and table tipping. Some people be-
lievo in them. Some people de-
rive benefit from having charms about
their persons, and there is no particular
harm in their wearing charms if they see
mt. L have heard Of a man who carried a
horse chestnut in his pocket as a proven
tive of hemOrrhOids. He declared that
whenever he lost his horse chestnut the
disease returned. Yet never heard of
any physician prescribing that mode of
cure for hemorrhoids. There is no
end to the cures that may be work.
ed by imagination. Bulwer hits
off this thought capitally when he makes
Pisistratus CaXton say: "A saffron bag
worn at the pit of the stomach is a great
cure. Oh, foolish boy, it is not the saffron
bag, but the belief in the saffron bag.
Apply belief to the centre of the nerves,
and all will be WE'LL So 1 say that this
bed theory is sort Of saffron bag. While
| am Of the opinion that it is nonsense,
and old women's cackle and empiric
drivel, have no doubt people may hon
estly believe in it and bear testimony to
its worth. So they do in all sorts
Of nOstrums. There never was
one offered for sale that did not have
long line of respectable recommends
lions tackled to it. The known phenomena
of electricity are so wonderful that it is
not at all difficult to believe almost any,
thing new that may be said about its
powers. Here is a force that was only a
scientific toy a few years ago that is now
carrying our messages, lighting our
houses, and running light machinery.
Is it any wonder that people not very
this wonderful force can either
cure them or prevent their getting sick !?
of all deluded persons the hypOchOndriac
is the most gullible and the quickest to
try experiments. Now, this bed business
is easily tried; it does not cost any money.
1t will do about as much good as a dose
OF sweetened water, such as a doctor
often gives to people who think they must
have something when they don't need
anything"
''Then you would not advise people to
try the new plan.
"Well, | would advise this as means
of securing sound sleep: Keep the body
perfectly clean. Do not overload the
stomach, but eat moderately of whole
some food. Dress appropriately to the
weather. Avoid over-eXertiOn, but 20 to
bed tired, without deranglng the stomach
with drinks of any kind. Have a good
hair mattress, with a low hair pillow.
Lie on your right side with your mouth
closed. Then, if your mind be not
disturbed by business or other troubles,
if you have the head of your bed to
the north you will sleep well. You may
attribute your sound sleep to the position
of the bed, but | should say that the other
circumstances have much the most effect.
1t is not unlikely that man who has
drunk beer and whisky all day, and eaten
enough for horse, and been lectured by
his wife; who goes to sleep with his
mouth open, lies uncomfortable, land shores
loud enough to wake all the neighbors,
should say that sleeplessness comes from
his having his bed lie east and west. I
rather think it is of more consequence
how men lie than how beds lie.'