Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-02-08
SLEEP.

form their proper functions for want
of their usual nervous stimulus, the
state of sleep is Tired Ma
lures sweet restOrer," as it has been
helicitously termed by the poet. The
perception of objects becomes con-
fused, the eyes grow Dim, the lids
drop, the muscles of the body relax,
and it sinks naturally into hori-
zontal position with the head falling
forward. and the object lapses into
that condition which the French term
-'demi- sommcil." a state of deep rev
erie, quickly followed by sleep, which
absorbs the last g.immerings of con-
seriousness. insects and fishes, we are
told, require the least sleep, the eXpia-
nation being that in the fishes the
nerv rus system is but imperfectly de-
veloped, W!rle with insects they often
remain so long in an enforced state
of torpor. as at other times to require
but little sleep at all. Pirds sleep
much more than either. but the
slightest noise or movement will
awaken them. There is the instance
of the cackling of the sacred Roman
geese saving that city from the SOL
diers of Brennus when The watch
dogs and-sentres were slumbering at
their posts.
In quadrupeds Nhe brain and spinal
marrow are more fully developed.
with the result thu. those animals
which are active by day sleep at
might. whilst those that roam through
out the night in search of prey sleep
by day. They accommodate them
selves, however. to the uses OF civil
cation in captivity; thus the animals
an the geological gardens remain
awake during the daytime, and sleep
at nighttime. The smaller monkeys
do not require much sleep, but the
large balloons and gorillas, whose
brain organization resembles that of
q man, will take six or eight hours.
Man, doubtless in consequence of eX-
cessive nervous energy, will take even
more. 1t has been truly said, Man
sleeps longer than any of the larger
animals"
During sleep both the respiration
and circulation diminish in rapidity,
and the pulse becomes slower and
fuller. The temperature of the body
falls below its waking standard.
Hence during sleep there is less re-
sistance to the cooling power and eff
fects of cold generally than when we
are awake. A draught of air is far
more dangerous in the sleeping state,
and the lesser vigor of the back of
the body to the front is evidenced
by the fact that a draught at the
back is much worse than in front.
The cold strikes the spinal column,
the backbone, unlike the chest, hav-
ing but little muscular protection.
Therefore, during sleep, the back
should be well covered. Intense cold
produces sleep, for in a severe winter
it is not uncommon to find people
lying dead in exposed out+of-door
spots. In high Northern latitudes it
is invariably the sleep of death which
follows those whom drowsiness at
tacks in the open air.
Tall and stout people require more
sleep than thin and short ones; men
more than women, and all animals
sleep longer in the winter than in the
summer. Old Parr, who died at the
age Of 152, latterly slept away the
greater part of his existence. Youths
generally sleep soundly, and it is dur.
ing that period of life that sluggish
habits are often contracted. Sleeping
longer than is necessary really inn
pairs the strength of the body and
the mind. The sleepy tendency of the
Fat Boy in ''Pickwick," and the testy
answer of the old gentleman to Dick
Swiveller in the "Old Curiosity Shop"
"CaM me the day after tomorrow"
are hardly eXaggerations. The great
j. j. Rosseau often rivaled that length
OF slumber. Many people, from habit,
bring themselves to sleep at will; the
great Napoleon, Quin, the actor;
Capt. Barclay, the athlete, and the
philosopher Reid, are instances OF
this. Frederick the great and Hunter,
nhe surgeon, slept but little-never
more than five hours; whilst the we'll
known Gen. Plchegru, it is said, dur
ing campaign never slept more than
one out of the twenty-four hours.
Jeremy Taylor always said three
hours was sufficient; Baxter four,
and John Wesley, six. The great
Duke of Wellington, too, only took
six, he believing that there was only
one turn" to take-to turn out"
not turn over; and Lord Brougham
used to content himself with foul
hours. Sir Walter Scott liked a good
allowance, and took seven or eight.
AS we have already remarked, tall
and bulky people require more, and
Sir Walter was a tall man, being, in
fact, member of the Scotch Six Feet
Club, which eXacts that height as the
qualification for membership. The
most celebrated writer's of old were
all early risers-Homer, Virgil and
Horace among others. Sir Thomas
Moore, Bishops Burnet and Jewell,
Lord Mansfield and the late Lord Sell
borne always rose at o'clock. Thorn
son, the poet, passed much of his time
In bed, and Dean Swift, we learn, lay
in bed until IL o'clock every day to
think out his sallies of wit for the
day.
Reverting to the sleeping state, we
may mention that undoubtedly the
best preparations for sleep at night
are healthy exercise and occupation,
bodily and mental, throughout the
day, and it should ever be remember.
ed that overfatigue induces a state OF
irritability and restlessness. Once,
however, soundly asleep, how comes il
that we wake again? The answer is,
as we before explained, that sleep
arises from exhaustion of the nervous
energy, and when during that state
1t is regenerated sufficiently, the
nerves are stimulated to renewed &C.
ton. Therefore, whilst in the early
part of the night our sleep is more
profound than it is afterward, it be-
comes lighter and lighter as this nerv.