The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-06-17
TO WOO SWEET SLEEP.
MANY SCHEMES EMPLOYED FOR
CONOUERlNG INSOMNIA.

Plan That Would Cause Architects
Trouble-Wct the Head.
If any unusually acute inventor could
tell us Of I'm infallible contrivance for
going 10 sleep just when we wish to do
SO ,Ecrc can be no doubt whatever Of the
substantial benefit which would thereby
be occurred for mankind. Some fortunate
individuals, like Napoleon l, can com
p,and sleep the moment they lay their
heads on the pillows. others find them
selves all through life sleeping the sleep
Of the Just every night. without difficulty
being experienced as to occasional wake
fulness. except when illness happens to
supervcne.
The Duke of Wellington, who always
slept on camp bedstead, had a maxim
that when a man turned in bed it was
time to turn out; and here It may be re
marked that great soldiers appear TO be
peculiarly constituted in their power to
Summon sleep at will Possibly this may
Ice due To the habits Of discipline which
they have learned They say to their
brains, Go to sleep" and at once the
word of command is obeyed.
WITH HEADS To THE NORTH.
We are all familiar with the stereo-
typed advice in cases of this kind to
turn The pillow" to think of some
thing else" or to imagine and count Il
numbcrof mountain sheep going through
a gate. Many a time and oft has the too
wakeful brain worker attempted to carry
these and similar prescriptions into prac-
ticc usually with results disproportionate
10 the efforts involved.
It may be said without much exaggera-
tion that the man who can first imagine
a Gcc, Of sheep. then half open gate,
and then can force his Hypothetical sheep
togo through one by one without crowd
ing or doi-ing or turning tail. is fit for
treason, Stratagems or writing the sub
liucst poetry. He is no ordinary man,
and i: is f09 ordinary individuals that
the saving prescription is required.
Among prescriptions OF 4 more or less
scuibla Kind which l.aye been ut various
timc5 propoundcl and actually put into
use for inlucinE sleep may be mentioned
the hop Pillow, in which OR iorcfathera
had considerable faith. the narcotic cs-
scmtial oil which produces the hop scent
being supposed 10 be exceedingly sopo-
rifle.
Tho a,p pillow was used by George III
haMtua.ly when that monarch suffered
from insomnia Then s. 4 Ellis long
ago anup2nc2l as grand discovery TO
the Scottish Curative Mcsmeric associa-
ton that sleep was all a matter OF which
way ones head points.
In a certain direction the electricity of
the Garth. which IS supposed to Gow be
tween the poles. passes along The body,
and 80 tends - the enjoyment of rcpose
Persons wishing to avoid alecplcsa nights
must therefor. AIr. Ellisadviscd. always
sleep south by north. with their heads
pointing in tlrir latter direction, and
they mus, taos, ruligioualy avoid attempt
i.g 10 lumber il their bed lies east and
west.
The idea boasts some supporters nova
days. bat the consequences Of its Univer-
sal prevalence would lead t. cNtraordi-
rarv results. For example, architects
waAi have ~r,atcr difficulties il build
il- suitable private residences than they
encounter even now, ii they were obliged
10 p..; Jhcir doors and iireplaccs so that
every apartment would &llow Of bed
triu- situated in exactly the same posi-
Iiun all over the house.
IL; u5 imagine also 4 country house,
where the gentlemen all retired to bed
abou; y o'clock, the ladies having de
parted % rest long before. What a rude
awakening would ensue for tie latter
when they were Suddenly reused by hear
iug horrible rumblings rs of thdndcr in
the rooms on every side, and above them!
They would think it was an earthquake
without doubt; whereas, as q mere mat
ter of fact. it would be only that each
guest was simultaneously attempting 10
shift lis four poster into consonaucc
with the teachings of electrical science.
PROFOUND SECRET.
There was, moreover, Il London gentle
man who years ago really believed he
had found an absolutely certain prescrip-
tion for banishing wakefulncss, and he
was willing to inpart his knowledge TO
others for handsome fee on the express
condition that the information should
go no further
When the sleep practitioner died one
fr,F..--,.,..l
world that the Grand secret WAS simply
this: : person lying il bed and cttemp-
ting - sleep usually brcathc5 through
his nostrils. and the breath so emitted is,
in cold weather, quite visible.
All that has TO be done is for the sub
ject to think of his own breathing, to
imagine that he secs every breath that
issues from his nostriis. and in moment
or two he will fall into 4 refrcshin.
slumbcr There may be some virtue in
this prescription, though common sense
would be inclined to suppose that the
mere bother Of imagining 2nythinS what
ever wo8ld be so tiresono IS TO excite
the brain and banish sleep much farther
of than ever.
Some persons, however, testified to the
complete efficacy of the breathing plan.
Alfred SncC. the author of Elements Of
Electro-Biology," also attempted to solve
the puzzle why sleep, wien much needed,
is often altogether denied. He rcfc,rcd
the whole matter TO the region Of "the
bio-dynamic circuit, but the practical
prescription was to wet the top Of the