National Republican., 1888-01-05
TALKING ABOUT SLEEP.
what Causes Insomnia and How q
Cure 1t.

What Causes ln,vnuia and How TO
Cure 1t.
The regular District meeting OF the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union yes
terday at the Central Union Mission rooms,
$50 Pennsylvania avenue, was devoted to
the department OF hygiene and heredity,
OF which Mrs. A. L Bovee is supernten-
dent; the topic being "Sleep." There was
only small attendance at the start, but
quite a number OF ladies came In as the
meeting progressed.
After the usual devotional exercises Mrs.
Bovee said that the W. G. t. U. was not
merely oneidead, womanly whim, but an
organization based on the fundamental
laws OF God and the natural rules He has
laid down for guidance and instruction in
properly maintaining health. The members
Of the union were pledged to study the
laws OF health, as that was an esseatial
feature in the work Of reform. She then
launched into dissertation on comparative
anatomy, describing the basic principles OF
life and it's functions, at the conclusion Of
which she catechised her variously- aged
scholars with Indifferent results.
The speaker said that the life OF man
(the genus) was susceptible OF fixed
duration, which is only shortened by dis.
ease, and, furthermore, disease which was
not Inevitable, but which was the resultant
Of fixed laws that could be understood and
fully controlled. She read an entertaining
description OF the human frame which com
pared 1t to modern dwelling, carrying the
parallel to considerable and pleasing
length.
Mrs. King read paper entitled "Why |
Cannot Sleep being depicture Of the
various forms of insomnia and recital OF
the general remedies therefor, summing up
with the statement that sleep could be
wooed successfully only with a quiet and
inactive brain. In the course OF this paper
(which Yves evidently prepared for mixed
audience) the ladies were confronted with
the query, "Do you smoke to excess ?n A
ripple OF laughter was the only answer,
none Of the fair ones present being willing
to acknowledge the soft Impeachment, but
more than one glance was shot from roguish
eyes at the unprotected reporter, who
sought In vain an opening in the floor
whereby to escape. His turn arrived, how
ever, when the speaker warned her hearers
Of the evils Of tea drinking, and the venge.
nous discontinue.
In the mldet of this exhibition of "ghoul 5
ish gee" the lady disarmed the reporter by
relating an incident of insomnia on the part
Of lady, caused by her husbands smo &
ing, and which was cured by him denying
himself OF that nicotine comfort, intimatlng
that many similar cases existed without be-
ing suspected.
The enemy's checkmate was here turned
into actual rout by the ladies wheeling In
echelon and delivering broadside OF Incl.
dent ard flank fire of moral upon the now
unreeisting reporter. and he capitulated at
the following
"Mrs. & boarded car about a year ago
In which there were several ladies and one -
well, one gentleman The latter expec-
torated In every direction, causing the
ladies to shrink from him to the limit Of the
cars possibility, but In vain. Finally Mrs.
G.. lost her patience, and impatiently said;
III you want to use street car as a spit
toon 1t would be we'll to charter one
EXeunt expectorater. Several weeks elapsed
and the same combination was on the cars,
when the ex. chewer acknowledged his error
and told Of his reform"
One lady suggested that the simplest way
to cause the men TO quit chewingwas TO
Insist upon them cleaning their spittoons.
They next proceeded to the consideration
OF paper by Mrs. Woods on "How to Kill
the Baby" Notwithstanding the fact tn at
Mrs. Woods possesses the most amiable
appearing countenance Imaginable, she
preceded to instruct her hearers IN the
divers forms Of infantcide, and the horri-
fed scribe had passed through all the
various stages Of terror before 1t dswned
upon him that the fair one was
talking sarcastically, and did not mean a
word she said, except that the precepts
were intended to be honored In the breach,
rather than In the observance. This paper
was an intellectual treat, and>afforded
much amusement while imparting needed
instruction. -,-s~S
Announcement was made Of the distric,
quarterly. meeting to be held on Tuesday
.and-a.half and G streets, and The
meeting adjourned.