The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-10-18
THE POSITION IN SLEEPING.
Should the Head Be Toward the North
or ANY Other Point of the 0ompass7

UerIndny, CndI HuIndu Hcditl 10 PtO-
NOTED by sleeping with the feet to tho
equator and the body lying true as the
needle to the pole" a reporter found
DR. J. S. 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 as a means of promoting
health?' was asked.
"When 1 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
"And did you continue the practice?"
mo; / came to the conclusion that
the benefit was imaginary, and l never
thought it necessary to try it with my
children"
''Do you know of any medical treat
Use on the subject?" 81
Il do not. l am sure it is never
treated in medical lectures, and never
heard it discussed in any scientific
BODY"
Ibid you ever know of any hospital
where any attention was paid to that
theory in the arrangement of the
beds?"
..Never. 1 have always seen the
beds arranged according to the conven-
fence of the room. They point to 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
pointP"
mot at all; the very foundation of
scientific discussion is lacking. There is
no data, no careful record of expert
ence that can be tested, compared and
analyzed Nor do / see how it could
be possible 1t would be necessary to
secure number of patients in precise
" the same conditions both as to per-
sonal peculiarities and surroundings.
If there be any scientific truth in the
theory it must of necessity be such that
experiments could be repeated and re-
suits demonstrated.
"But You yourself imagined you
were benefited, and others have like
wise come to the same conclusion"
True; but isolated cases of that
kind prove nothing. Until get more
evidence ! shall be inclined to think the
position of the bed has very if any in
fluence 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?'
sThere may be truth in it, but l do
not know that there is. l think l first
read of it in the writings of Andrew
jackson Davis, the author of Divine
Revelations / have recollection
that there was something said about the
influence of 'odic force But as yet, !
have no proof that there is such a cur
rent, or that it has any effect upon .
mans body, OF that it would not do o
man quite as much good If it were to
60 through him sideways. On all these
| points science is silent"
DR.. McCorkle, Professor of Materis
Medica and Therapeutics in the Long
Island College Hospital, was interviewed
through the telephone, and he said he
knew of no medical literature on the
subject; that he believed the theory OF
| placing the bed north and south was
more believed in by the laiety than by
the medical professions; that he had
never tried it himself seen it tried by
anybody, nor heard that it had beer
tried in any hospital.
Mr. Merzbach, of the same hospital,
said that he had heard of the theory
several years ago, and, out of curiosity,
| had placed his bed in that position, hui
he had not found that he derived any
| advantage from ii. He had observed
| La 10 fuh Ia
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 til
position of the bed.
Another physician said: This is not
so silly as it might at first seem. l
have seen some results in my own
practice that might be attributed to
this cause. Possibly some people
| would he affected more than Others,
and some would not be affected at all.
1t would be an easy thing to note the
relative healthfulness of houses where
the beds are arranged in the way indi-
Gated. Where houses face east and
west the beds are probab yplaced north
and south. A very little attention to
the subject might bring out valuable
facts. !"
A venerable physician said; MY
opinion is that it is piece of nonsense
worthy of some superstitious old lady.
/ would rank it with fortune-telling and
table-tipping. Some people believe in
them. Some people derive benefit from
having charms about their persons, and
there is no particular harm in their
wearing them if they sec fit. ] have
heard of man who carried horse.
chestnut in his pocket as a preventive
of hemorrhoids. He declared that
whenever he lost his horse-chestnut the
disease returned. Yet l never heard OF
any physician prescribing that mode oi
treatment for hemorrhoids. There is
| no end to the cures that may be worked
by imagination. Bulwer hits off this
thought capitally when he makes Phi
STRATUS Caxton say: "A saffron bag
worn at the pit of the stomach is q
great cure. Oh. foolish boy. it is moi
the saffron bag. but the belief in the
saffron bag. Apply belief to the center
of the nerves and all will be WE'LL Sc
say that this bed theory is sort of a
saffron bag. While am of the opinion
that it is nonsense, and old women s
cackle and empiric drivel, have nc
doubt people may honestly believe in il
and bear testimony to its worth. Sc
they do in all sorts of noStrums. There
never was one offered for sale that did
not have long line of respectable rec
concentrations tackled to it. The
known phenomena of electricity are sc
wonderful that it is not ut all difficult to
believe almost anything new that may
be said about its powers. Here is a
force that was only scientific toy q
few years ago that is now carrying our
messages. lighting our houses and
running light machinery. Is it any
wonder that people not very credulous
should believe that this wonderful force
can either cure them or prevent theil
getting sick? OF all deluded person:
the hypochondriac is the most gulliblt
and the quickest to try experiments
Now, this bed business is easily tried
it does not cost any money. 1t will dc
about rs much good as dose of sweet
ened water, such as doctor often give:
to people who think they must have
something when they don't need any
thing"