The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-03
Eating Before Retiring
Results in Sleep.
The Process Employed in the
Making of Charcoal.
Notions About Conspicu0usneSs oil
Red Coats Dispelled.

Our mothers and grandmothers usou uo
tell us that if we ate before going to bed
we should certainly be afflicted with
night mare. They were telling nothing
they did not believe, nor were they stRt-
ing ANYTHING that the doctors of their
day would not have fully endorsed. IL Is
only a few decades since the medical
profession was as firmly convinced that
eating before sleeping was as dangerous
TO health to sleep, 20 digestion and about
everything else as n glass of water would
be to a sufferer from fever. The doctors
have changed their views since then and
SO have other people, but there are still n
few who continue 20 cling 10 those anti
ouated notions. Possibly they may he led
10 adopt more modern views as u eatlng
by learning what such an eminent physi-
clan as DR. Parsons has TO say in regard
TO eating before bedtime. A light supper
lust before retiring, he says, Is usually
an advantage Babies and brute animals
are usually somnolont when their stom'
achs are well supplied with food the
activity of the stomach Withdrawing the
excess OF the blood from the brain. where
Ii is not needed during sleep. On the
other hand, people who are very hungry
usually find it very difficult 10 sleep. And
then a habit of sleep at regulated time
and during proper hours should be cultl-
waited in case this habit has been lost. In
accomplishing this the attainment OF
favorable state of mind is of great inn
portance Sleep cannot be enforced by
direct effort of the will.
The very effort TO command sleep by
will power is sufficient To render It's at
tainment nugatory. The mental state 10
be encouraged Is one Of quiescence, one
of Indifference, feeling that the recum-
bent posture is the proper one for rest.
and that If the thoughts are disposed to
continue active they may safely DO
allowed TO take their course without any
effort at control. This state of mind and
thought is next akin to dreams, and
dreaming is nextakin to sound sleep Many
mental methods have been advised and
put In practice for the purpose of securing
esep. the design being TO turn the
thoughts from objects of interest TO a con-
dition of monotony, as by mentally re-
heating we'll remembered phrases or sem
tences or by counting But the state of
indifference, if this can be obtained, is
likely to be the most efficient, as being
the least active.
E,It is only vague idea that the ordinary
Individual has about the making of char
coal, familiar as he may be with its use
Charcoal is made by burning wood in "A
limited supply Of. air. Sticks of wood
are piled up into a round heap, with "a
small hole in the center for "a chimney.
Another hole runs from the chimney TO
the outside OF the pile, so as TO give
draft. The whole pile is then covered
with sod and earth. The wood is lighted
through the chimney, and chars slowly
until il Is all converted into charcoal. The
time required varies from one to three
weeks according TO tho size of tho pile.
The best quality of charcoal is made by
heating wood in iron cylinders. When
nd In, nfb Na1n Ia
substances such as wood alcohol, are
formed, which run of as liquids and ore
collected. This kind of charcoal is used
for gunpowder. Charcoal is black, lus-
treless soft and smutty. It has no crys-
talline form, but retains the internal
and external forms of tho tree from
which it came. While the wood in the
pits is charIlng, tho walls OF the wood
cells become charcoal, but the matter
within the cells Is driven of. This makes
the charcoal very porous, aud it absorbs
air TO such an extent as Co float on water.
Charcoal has strong tendency 60 con-
dense on its surface. IL acts on different
gases TO different degrees, but most
readily on ammonia and sulphuretted
hydrogen. IL is also used TO absorb color
ing matter in bleaching colored s0lu-
ri ons. but bone black, sort of animal
charcoal. made by burning the bones of
animals is better for this purpose.
Brown sugar Is turned into white sugar
by running il through layer of bone
black from twenty TO thirty feet thick.
The popular notion is that n red coat is
about theiinost conspicuous that "a soldier
can wear, and therefore not good one TO
appear in before an enemy because OF its
brightness affOrding an opportunity for
drawing a bead on the wearer 10 the
trained seldi-f. heweTer,-tiirr t1iit-7rf -rufUr
for uniform is one that shall bc sufli-
GENTLY conspicuous mt short distance to
facilitate leading. and the exaggeration
of the moral effect of the assault bv Civ
Ing the party attacked the impression of
n heavy body OF troops. and az the same
time be incouspicuous enougl not 60 r.
veal preliminary strategical or tactical
movements up 60 the limit of the first fire
position. In other words, the color needed
Is one which cannot be too conspicuous mt
close range. and too inconspicuous at "a
distance. After the fire position is once
occupied, concealmcnt is no longer of
advantage, for the possibility Of actually
aimed fire ceases, and the letter the I'm.
dividual is seen the better is his chance of
being missed by the particular bullet in
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