Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-02-06
EATING BEFORE SLEEPING.
Journalists Experience of Value in
Mankind In General.


before retiring. This came from the
severe denunciation of "late suppers"
contained in nearly all the old popular
works on diet. The argument in these
publications was not directed against
the food at late hour in the day, but
against what was involved in a late sup
per, at period when the jewellers
slipped from the chairs and spent the
night under the table. or were carried
by waiting lackeys insensible to their
beds.
It was the midnight debauch that was
the object of attack, and even here it was
less the gluttony than the drunkenness
which alarmed the doctors and called
forth their reprehensions. A man may
induce apoplexy by gorging himself
with food ut auy hour Of the day, but
the bottle after bottle of heady wine or
the bowls of hot punch at the evening
revel were what did the business tor
most WHO ran brief career Of dissipa-
zion to an unti,nely grave.
Man is the only animal that can be
Taught to sleep qrietly on an empty
stomach. The brute creation resent all
efforts to coax them to such o violation
Of the laws of nature. The lion roars
in the forest until he has found his
prey, and when he has devoured it he
sleeps over until he needs another meal
The horse will paw all night in the
stable, and the pig will squeal in the
pen, refusing all rest or sleep until they
are fed The animals which chew the
cud have their own provision for q late
meal just before dropping off to their
night slumbers.
Man can train himself to the habit Of
sleeping without preceding meal; but
only after long years of practice. AS
be comes into the world nature is toe
strong for him and he must he fed be-
fore he will sleep. A childs stomach
is small and when perfectly filed, ii no
sickness disturbs it, sleep followes nat
urally and inevitably AS digestion goes
on, the stomach begins to empty. \
sing fold in it will make the little
sleeper restless; two will awaken it,
and il it is hushed again to repose the
nap is short, and three folds put an end
to the slumber. Paregol 10 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 may by. Not even an
angel who learned the art of minstrelsy
in celestial choir can sing q babe tc
sleep on an empty stomach.
We use the oft quoted illustration,
"sleeping as sweetly as an infant" be-
cause this slurnher Of q child follows
Immediately alter it's stomach is COM
pletely filled with wholesome food. This
sleep which comes to adults long hours
after partaking of food, and when the
stomach is nearly or quite empty, it is
not after the type of infantile repose.
There is all the difference in the world
between the sleep Of refreshment and
the sleep of exhaustion.
TO sleep well, the blood that swells
the veins in the head during our busy
hours must flow back. leaving greatly
diminished volume behind the brow that
lately throbed with such vehemence.
To digest we'll, this blood is needed at
the stomach and near the fountains OF
life. 1t is a fact established beyond the
possibility of contradiction tAat sleep
aids digestion, and that the process OF
digestion is conducive to refreshing
sleep. It needs no argument to con-
vince us Of this mutual relation. Tie
drowsiness which always follows we'll.
ordered meal is itself q testimony Of IA.
ture to this intcrdepenueuce.
The waste Of human life by the neg.
lect of the lesson Is very great. The
daily wear nnd tear of the body might
be restored more fully than it usually
is if this simple rule was not systemati-
cally violated. Sleep is wonderfully
recuperative, but it may be shorn OF
half It's benefits by unfavorable condi.
tons. Foul air IN tho bed$s chamber
leaves the sleeper almost as exhausted
in the morning as, when weary with the
days labor, he sank upon the bed.
A gnawing stomach, empty Of food takes
out Of the nightly sleap 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.
1t is like the sleep which the mother
takes while her sick child is under the
cure of watchers in another room. An
uneasy stomach is just like an aching
heart in it's effect upon the nightly re-
pose.
A healthy person who goes to bed on
full stomach will always wake in the
morning with better appetite for his
breakfast. IT dinner is eaten in tie
middle of the day and light supper is
served at 6 in the afternoon, hearty
luncheon should be provided at 10 in
the evening, or just before the time 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
flight" viands and this phrase is COM
monty understood The less person
eats at any time of cake or pie, or the
countless hummeries that go to make
up fancy tea table tho better, but none
of these should be eaten at bedtime.
Cold chicken, cold roast beef, corned
beef, or wholesome meat OF any kind,
with we'll baked bread and butter,
(sauce and pickle will do no harm), will
serve the substantial requisites for this
collation.. Milk is perhaps the best OF
all where the pure article can be obtain
ed. "Borden's condensed" will supply
it IN the best shape to suit our taste,
and if this is used it shoold be mixed
with warm or hot water, instead of cold
and eaten before it coolies. With bread
and fruit. (baked apples will serve when
berries and peaches sfaiI, this makes
very wholesome evening meal.
A person should be very cautious
when they reform their habits in this
respect. A mouthful or two each night
nt first is all that should be attempted.
#gradually increasing the quantity un-
til the luncheon becomes pretty sub