The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-10-24
EDISON IS HIS OWN DOCTOR.
The Electrician Is Vegetarian and Meat
Eater by Turns, and Thus Keeps Well.

They have little cot out at the
laboratory where Edison sleeps when
he spends the night at the laboratory,
which is not more than ten minutes
walk from bis handsome house in
Llewellyn Park. Upon this cot he will
snatch an hours and a half hours sleep
at night while waiting for the workmen
to finish an armature or to bore hole
in some experimental steel. His meals
during such times are sent down from
the house, and he may eat them work.
ing at the bench or standing up, or for
get them altogether. This may go on
for days at time, and Edison may not
even take the trouble to go to the cot,
but may turn in on heap of sawdust or
the soft side of a board and snatch few
minutes of sleep. Mr.. Edison long ago
got weary Of people who went up to him
and said: "You will ruin your health. :"
Physicians gazed at him with a long
face and told him if he kept this up his
days were numbered.
%They wanted me to take drugs"
said he to N. Y. World reporter, "but
l am my own doctor"
He has poor opinion of doctors who
write prescriptions designed to insert
strange drugs into a man. Mr.. Edison,
who is blessed with most rugged con-
stitution and an elastic nature, has a
curious theory upon which he doctors
himself He holds that nature some
how balances things. When he has
deprived himself of sleep for several
nights in succession he takes a long
sleep TO make up for it. When he has
been eating meat and his liver or kid
news trouble him he suddenly turns
vegetarian.
"That brings me around all right,
said he, "and then if, after time, any
thing goes wrong begin to eat meat
again, when everything is justified. +"
Il eat what / like" said Mr.. Edison.
It appears to agree with him, for latter
" he has been gaining in weight
One of the things he liAes is pie. He
drinks very little and yet is far from
being q total abstainer. "When I was
in France they told me that / must
drink wine, or I'd get the typhoid fever.
So began to drink their wine, but af-
ter awhile my hands began to shake.
guess they only throw in the typhoid
fever to advertise their wine. Tea and
coffee and water are the best drinks for
me-"
Mr.. Edison expects to live to be 90
years Of age. "My father went to
Europe at the age of 64." said he.
aWhen in Paris his companion, a young
fellow of 65. proposed going out to
Versailles. The old gentleman de-
clined to ride, and they walked out and
back. My grandfather lived to be 105,
despite the horrible influence of tobacco,
and I think my chances are good fol
90, barring accidents" Mr.. Edison's
reference to s'the horrible influence o1
tobacco" is what he calls his "little
| Joker" He is an inveterate smoker
himself.
sHow many cigars do you smoker"
"From ten to twenty day." was the
reply.
STRONG onesp"
"The strongest ! can get, was the re
ply,
| mo. never saw a sign of it. If
thought it hurt me I'd stop it. !"
Mr.. Edison was asked what he did fol
amusement and replied that he liked {
good story and was fond of the theater
On account of being slightly deaf, how
ever. he cannot hear all the actors say
and is therefore more devoted to ligh
opera. He says he can get down il
the front row and hear all the music.