San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-01-10
NATURES SWEET ResToRER.

DR.. johnson Ind to fight continually against
drowsinosa
The elder Dcscrogllles slept but two hours
In the twenty-four.
Jeremy Taylor slept but three hours dur
ing tho twcnty-four.
Newtons mind was impaired by the priva-
tion OF sleep In his old ago
Thompson, tho author Of tho "5easons,'
passed. an undue proportion OF his time In
bed
There "a no better soporac than plenty OF
outdoor exercise, carried even, In extreme
cases Of wakofulness, 10 a scaso OF fatigue
Sir Thomns Brown found II a most effect
ual soporifc 70 repeat some verses on which
the well known "Evcning Hymn" is founded.
Poor little factory children hayo fallen
asleep from sheer weariness, and yet contin-
ued TO move their hands and fingers rs II ut
work.
Rabclais tells us OF sono monks who, when
wakeful, resolutely sot themselves to prayer,
and who, before they had concluded half n
dozen ayes or paternosters, foil asleep.
Perhaps ono reason why tho most gifted
minds have been afflicted by wakofulness Is
that bodily exercise Is too ofton neglected by
people devoted TO intellectual pursuits
Dir Walter Boot has told us how tho North
American Indians, when at the stake OF tor
turc slept on the least lntermisslon Of agony
until the 1re WIS applied 10 wnkcn them.
Any strong intellectual effort. such az an
exciting ganio Of chess Just before retiring TO
rest Will keep the circulation In the brain at
such an unnatural tension TINT sleep Is I'm
possible
Soldiers have slept during march, as In
the case Of those rctreating with Sir John
Moore from CoruDna; while others, again,
have slept sound with tho roar OF artillery
around them.
A cause Of floeplessness, which is, how
ever, too little recognized, Is the taking of
stimulating drinks, and In this, an effort Of
tho will to forsake tho habit Is oil that Is
necessary In the way Of a curo
Horace, In his satircs, recommended the
swimming of tho Tiber three times rs n
means Of procuring deep roposo; aud the
science Of tho present dhy, with all its array
Of facts, has little better advice to give.
Franklin took bis air bath; Sir John Sin
clair counted; while Sir John Ronnie, when
engaged on public works, mover wont to sleep
without previously having his hair coinbed
ut the back Of his head With ilno tooth
comb and rubbed gently with the palm of
tho hand.
Lord Hailos, when composing his "Annals
of Scotland" constantly resortod to n wheel
chair he kept In his study, that no might be
driven rapidly about by servant, to dispcl
bis disposition to slumbcr, and In church
could only keep himself awake during the
sermon by crunching sweetmcata
There arc some people who can sleep or
wake ut will. Napoleon Donaparto was an
example, US WIS also Quin, the actor; and
nnotber occurred in Capt Barclay, who
walked 1000 miles IN 1000 consecutive hours,
DOING regularly OFF to sleep when ho had
completed bis milo, and waking in time TO re-
new his walking
Tho sufTcror who bus wooed sleep In vain
Is, according 10 a Mr.. Gardner, to lie on his
right sido, with bis head comfortably placed
on tho pillow, having tho neck straight, 30
that respiration may not DO tmpeded. The
lips aro then to be closed slightly and u rather
full inspiration taken, breathing through tho
nostrlls as much as possible. Tho full inspi-
ration taken, tho lungs arc to be left 10 their
own action. Attention must now DO fixed
upon tho respiration. Tho person must i'm
agine that he sees tho breath passing from
his nostrils In continuous stream, and at
tho instant he brings his mind to conceive |
this apart from all other ideas, consciousness
leaves him--or, at least, 80 says tho recipe
and ho falls asleep.