St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-01
HowaDo YOU Sleep
ST Have an Exposition of Sleep"
.--Midsummer Nights Dream.

VIII SUMMER N1SAGS DEOom.
dropping into one of our leading
hotels the other evening"" said a promi-
nent citizen to the writer, II met quite
Unexpectedly Maj. Benedict and Capt.
Lynch. friends whom j had not seen
since The days of 'ApomattoX and its
famous apple tree The major had
spent the last fifteen years in India.
while the captain is prominent civil
engineer, and much interested in all
problems of natural science. The soft
brilliancy of the incandeScent lamps
with which the rotunda glOWed was re-
marked, and the talk drifted to the eff
feet the electrical currents of the earth
would have upon the body, according to
the position in sleep with reference to
the terrestrial poles. There certainly
is something in it, said the captain, and
| will outline my theory to you. 1t we
submit two glasses of water to the poles
of magnet, that exposed to the positive
will acquire all acid taste, and that sub
jected to the negative pole will take an
alkaline taste. If we magnetic two
glasses of water, one with the right hand
and the other with the left. the first will
be acidulated and fresh, the second
nauSeouS and alkaline. We may there
fore regard the right hand as positive
and left as negative. The right side
and topOf the head are positive, and. the
north pole of the earth being negative,
it follows, since opposites attract, that
the true position for healthy sleep is
to lie on the right side with the
head to the north. While in India,
dipped into theosophy to some extent
and found that some of the Hindo stu
dents of occult science had this theory
on the subject: The earth Las three
main magnetic currents, two flowing
from the poles toward the equator; the
third being the combination Of these
two, and flowing from east to west
across the torrid zone. The right side
of the head is positive, the left negative.
The right hand and foot are negative,
the left hand and foot positive. The
current from the north is positive, that
from the south egative-cOntrary to
Lynch'S idea. Opposite poles should be
presented to each other, and therefore.
in the Northern zones, one should lie on
the right side, head to the north, Dwell
erS III the southern zones should lie on
the left side, head to the south. In the
tOrTid zone, the logical position would
be to lie on the stomach, head to the
east. since the negative side of the head
would thus be presented to the positive
current 'WeIl,' said l, it doesn't
seem to me that one-sided position is
just the correct thing. differ with you
as to the polarity of the body, holding
the head to be positive, the right hand
negative, left hand positive, and both
feet negative. Now, we all agree that
opposite poles should be presented to
each other. Taking north and west as
positive. and south and east as negative,
these results will follow from any posi-
ton assumed with reference to the car
dinal points of the compass. Suppose
the person to lie on his back. Then,
with head to the east. we have accord
at all points, positive coming in contact
with negative in every instance. Head
to north-handS in accord. head and
feet in discord. Head to south head
and feet in accord, hands in discord.
Head to west-disco1d at all points.
One lies face downward, the position of
accord will be with the head to the
south. My opinion is that, in whatever
zone one may be. the true position is to
lie Oh the back, with the head to the
east But it was two against one.
Why said the Major, the Captain
and have just tested our theories, on
north and south railroad, in sleep
ing-car, the worst of all places for ME
to get good nights rest. We came
in this morning from st. Louis. l had
the porter make up my berth head to
the north, and / am sure slept like a
log clear to st. Paul?' What road did
you come over?' The Burlington
'Ah, Major said 1, I think the
smooth road-bed, light grades, and lux
urious Sleepers of that popular line had
more to do With your sound sleep than
the fact that you lay with your head to
DRY, and declares that he shall always
travel between the Twin Cities and Chi
cago or ST. Louis by The Burlington
because it is a direct north and south
line for $50 miles, and his polarity will
always be in harmony with the earth
currents while on that road"