Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-05-25
Beds and Read.ny.

At the time Cesar invaded Britain
the inhabitants of that island made their
beds on the ground. using the skins
of animals worn during the day to wrap
themselves in at night. Their Roman
conquerors taught them the use of straw
for beds, and brought other methods of
making sleep refreshing and sweet into
general use. The luxurious touches of
the Romans were initiated in part by the
weather. Britons. but straw beds con-
tinued TO be in use, even in the royal
chambers, as late as the close of the
thirteenth century. The use of feathers
as stuftng of pillows was frequent
among the Egyptians, and was copied
from them by the Romans. and brought
into England from Rome by the Crusad-
ers. Feathers were after that used for
beds by those who could afford them.
but they have always been deemed an
article of luxury.
During the feudal period. the castles
being i'll furnished with bedrooms.
straw was brought into the great hall at
night fer the accommodation of retain
ers, and was removed in the morning. 4
sack of chat for pillow was counted
a luxury, the usual head-rest being
billet of wood. As ventilation was lit
tie understood at that period aud fre.
quent ahlutions and changes of clothing
were far less insisted on than now, this
primitive method of lodging was not
without its sanitary advantages.
The Eastern nations seem never &c
have made much use of bedsteads, a
mattress laid on the floor. or tho divan
used during the day, serving as = bed at
night. But the Egyptians. rs we sse by
representations ii the tombs along the
River Nile, ornamented their bedSteads
deliberately, and were initiated in this
by the Greeks, and later by the Romans
The bedsteads of the Greeks. though OF
the simplest forms, were beautifully
carved and often overland with tortoise
she'll and ivory. while the feet were of
silver. The mattress was of linen or
wooden, stuffed with straw or wool.
Both square and round pillows were
used. Blankets of soft, fleecy texture
were in use, and night-gowns were
worn. Each Greek, as he laid himself
to sleep, swathed himself in his blankets
and lay like mummy taking his rest.
There was no partnership of bed clothes.
In the times of the Roman EMperors.
beds and hedsteads were of surprising
magnihcence. The latter were often of
ivory, adorned with plates of silver and
gold. covered by the most luxurious
mattresses and spread with deliberately
embroidered counterpanoS They were
so high that they could not be reached
without step-ladders.
The first bedstead mentioned in the
Bible Is that of Og. King of Bashan; it
was nine cubits long and foir broad,
and would accommodate Il man twelve
feet in height The bedstead Shake
speare mentions must be of nearly like
proportions. Ii is a structure twelve
feet square, and still to be seen in Que
of the inns of the English village of
Ware.
The air bed was known several cent
uries ago. 1t was made of fabric rem
dered air-proof by paint or yarnish, and
was inflated by bellows. The water
bed was invented by DR.. Arnott for tho
use of invalids. At first the case was
leather, but later of India-rubber cloth.
The most wholesome filling for beds.
all things considered, is fresh straw; hut
as this is liable TO be scattered when
daily stirred, neat people prefer mat
tresses stuffed with hair. These retain
their elasticity for n long time. and alb
sorb eXhaiations from the body less
readily than wool. and much less readi-
ly than feathers, which are rarely used
now for beds, save in country farm
houses. Cotton is often used for filing
mattresses, but it easily absorbs exhala-
tons and soon mats down hard How
ever fashion may change with regard
to bed-clothes. the intelligent will al
ways prefer cotton or wooden for spreads
to any fabric or covering that cannot be
washed. A wooden blanket may be
cleansed so rs to be rs good as new in a
few hours, but to reiuvenate a cotton
comfort requires days, and then it il
less agreeable than a blanket of equal
weight. We breathe not only through
our lungs but through our pores, and
wooden blankets boing much moro por-
meable by air than cotton comforts,
permit this pore-breathing TO go on
without change of temperature. Wool
en- comforts are Injuries INDUCED in by
some families, and rank next to those
filed with eider-down for comfort. This
last material is both light and warm.
but its high price and its scarcity restrict
its use to the few.
Snowy whiteness is sine qua non in
bed linen, and however economical OF
work colored spreads and blankets and
patchwork quilts may be, tho prefer
ences of those instructed in hygiene will
always be for pure white, or at least
undyed coverings, unless it be an azure
or rose-tinted lining for lace spread or
pillow-shams. Y Tribune