Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-10
EATING BEFORE SLEEPING.
A JOurnaii>t's Experience OF VaIEv TO
Mankind iu General.

Mankind in General.
David NJ. Stone in New York Journal of Commerce
The notion is widely prevalent that it is IN
healthy to eat late at night or just before re-
firing. This came from the severe denuncatlon
of Late supp"rs" contained in nearly all tie
old popular works on diet The argument in
these publications was not directed against the
food at a late hoGr in the day, tut against what
was involved in late supper. ut a period when
the jewellers slipped from their chairs and spent
the night under the table or were carried by
waiting lackeys lnsensible to their beds
1t was the midnight debauch that was the Oh
| jeCt OF attack. and even hera ii was less the
EIuttony than the drunkenness which alarmed
| the doctors and called forth their repreheu-
| siOns. A man may induce apoplexy by gorging
! himself with food At any hour of the day but
| the bottle after bottle of heady wine or the
! bowls of hot punch at the evening reye were
what did the business for most who ran a brief
career OF dissipation TO an untimely grave
| Man is the only animal that can be taught 10
| sleep quietly on an empty stomach. The brute
creation resent all efforts TO coax them to such
| violation of the laws of nature The lionroars
| in the forest until he has found his prey. and
when he has deyoured il ne sleeps over until he
needs another meal. The horse will paw al
night In the stable. and the pig will sQuea in
the pen, refusing all rest or sleep until they are
| fed. The animals which chew the cud have
4
| dropping of TO their night siumbcrs
Man can train himself to the habit OF sleeping
without a preceding meal. but only after long
years OF practice AS he comes into the world
| nature is too strong for him and he must be fed
before he will sleep. a chdd's stomach is small,
and when perfectly filed If no sickness disturbs
| it, sleep follows naturally and inevitably AS
| digestion goes on. the stomach begins to emuty
A single fold in it will make the little sleeper
restless; two Will awaken II. and If Il Is hustled
again 10 repose the nap is short aud turee fields
put an end To the slumber. Paregoric or other
narcotic may close its eyes again. but without
! either food or some Supplying drug it will not
sleep. no matter how healthy it NAV be- Not
| even an angel who learned the art of minstrelsy
| 10 celestial choir can sing babe to sleep on
an empty stomach.
| We use the oft-quoted illustration. 'ssleeping
| as sweetly as infant" because this sumter
| of child follows immediately after its stomach
| is completely filed with wholesome food This
| sleep which comes to adults long hours after
| partaking of food. and when the stomach is
| nearly or quite empty, is not after the type of
nfantiie repOse. There Is all the difference in
| the world between the sleep Of refreshment and
/ the sleep of exhaustion.
To sleelwell. the blood that swells the veins
! In the head during our busy hours must flow
| back, leaving a greatly diminished volume be-
! hind the brow that lately throbbed with such
vehemence To digest well this blood is needed
| at the stomach and near the fountains of life
1t is fact established beyond the possibility OF
contradiction that sleep aids dig stion, and
that the process OF digestion is conducive TO
refreshing sleep. II needs no argument 10 con-
vince us Of this mutual relation The 6rowsi-
/ ness which always follows a well-or1ered meal
| Is itself testimony of nature 20 This interde-
| penjence.
The waste of human life by the neglect of the
| lesson is very great. The daily wear and tear
| OF the body might be restored more fully than
it usually is if this simple rule was not SYSTEM
atically violated. Sleep is wonderfully recupe-
ma ~ hp nf half i+oh aan
uniayorabie conditions. Foul air in the bed
chamber leaves the sleeper almost as exhausted
| In the morning as. when weary with the days
| labor, he sank upon the bed. gnawing stom-
ach, empty of food, takes out of the nightly
sleep that refreshing sense of comfort which
properly belongs to it. 1t leaves the blood to
throb in the heated brow, and haunts the sleep
with an ever-present source of disQuiet. Ii is
like the sleep which the mother takes while ner
SICK cnlld is under the care of watchers in an
other room. An uneasy stomach is lust like
| an aching heart in its effect upon the nightly
repose.
A healthy person who goes to bed on a full
stomach Will always wake in the morning with
better appetite for his breakfast. If dinner IL
eaten in the middle OF the dav and light sup
per is served at six in the afternoon a hearty
luncheon should be provided at ten In the eve
ming, or just before the hour of retiring. The
rule should be to eat at the last moment before
going to bed, whatever that hour may be.
And this latest meal should not be of eight"
NlandS. as this phrase Is commonly understood
The less person eats at any time Of cake or
pie, or the countless fummeries that go to make
up fancy tea-table the better but none OF
! these should be eaten at bedtime Cold chicken
cold roast beef. corned beef or wholesome meat
| OF any kind, with wel-baked bread and butter
sauce and pickle will do no harm. viii serve
the substantial requisites for this collation..
Milk is perhaps the best of all where the pure
article can be obtained: ''Borden's condensed
will supply it in the best shape TO suit our TASTE
/ and If this is ased it should be mixed with warm
or hot water. instead OF cold. and eaten before
1t cools With bread and fruit, (baked apples
will serve when berries and peaches fail, this
makes very wholesome eve-iug meal.
All persons should be very cautious when
they reform their habits i'm this respect.
mouthful or two each night at first is all that
| should be attempted. gradually increasing the
quantity until the luncheon becomes a pretty
substantial meal If indigestion follows at any
time. chewing the meat OF one or two peach pits
(or the prussic acid in them after eating is Bet
ter than sending for doctor With q clear
conscience and full stomach. any man in toler-
able health may derive from his nightly sleep
thar recuperation which ought to come from
this sweet restorer Of nfe's daily wear and
waste.