The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-17
Medical Votes.

strained position generally prevents re-
pose, while a comfortable one wooes
sleep. Lying fiat on the back with the
limbs relaxed ought to secure the great
est amount of rest for the muscular
system. This is the position assumed
in the most exhausting diseases, and 1t
is generally hailed as a token of revival
when a patient voluntarily turns on the
side, but there are several disadvantages
in the Supine posture which impair or
embarrass sleep. Thus in weakly states
of the heart and blood vessels
and certain morbid conditions of
the brain the blood seems to
gravitate to the back of the head and
to produce troublesome dreams. In per-
sons who habitually stoop in their walk
ing there will be some distress in Sleep
ing on the back consequent on straight
ening the spine. Those wha have con-
tracted chests, especially persons who
have pleurisy and retain adhesions of
the lungs, do not sleep we'll on the back.
Nearly all are inclined to snore In that
position, because the soft palate and
uvula hang on the tongue and that or
gan falls back so as to partly close the
top of the windpipe.
1t is better, therefore, to lie on the
side, and in the absence of special dis
eases rendering it necessary to lie on the
weak side so as to leave the healthy
lung free to expand, it is well to lie on
the right side, because when the body is
thus placed the food gravitates more
easily out of the stomach into the in
testines and the weight of the stomach
does not compress the upper portion of
the bowels nor enbarrass the heart.
Many persons are deaf in one ear and
prefer to lie on particular side, but if
possible the right side should be chosen
Sleeping with the arms thrown over
the mead IS not good, but this position Is
often assumed during sleep because cir
culation IS then free in the extremities
and the head and neck muscles are drawn
up and liked by the shoulders and thus
the expansion of the chest is easy. The
chief objection of this position Is that
1t creates a tendency to cramp and cold
in the arms and sometimes seems to
cause headaches during sleep and I'M
comfortable dreams.
Perhaps one of the greatest fa1lacfes
In which theorists indulge is the recon-
mendation to avoid late suppers It is
the universal habit throughout the ami
NAL kingdom to repose after a meal
Why should mankind reverse the order
OF things? Probably the idea has arisen
In conscience of suffe ring and inconven-
fence caused by eating heavy and indi-
gestible slippers. A meal of picked salm-
say, "a fragment of an UNDERGONE po-
tato,' would, in all probability effeetually
Danish sleep; but it is beyond all question
that light, digestible meal or lunch
shortly before going to bed is almost in
dispensable to sufferers from insoania
Reading in bed Is not a good habit, as
far as the eyes are concerned, but some
times when sleep will not come, reading
in bed will Danish the feverish state of
restlessness, providing the book is not
. too exciting, but just sufficiently inter-
esting to get the thoughts into a quiet
train. A lamp, book and biscuit Will
often be better than all the sleeping
draughts in the world
One very frequent cause of sieepless-
ness too abundance of bedolothing. A
sheet, two blankets and a counterpane
are generally sufficient in winter except
In very severe weather. and a sheet and
blanket without a counterpart In sum-
naer.
Disease may be cause of sleeplessness
and yet 1t is in disease that sleep is
most important to the system An
abundance Of sleep is as essential as food.
In health or disease In sleep the brain
rests and recruits itself laying UP energy
for the waking hours. In sleep the
tightly strung bow of nervous tension Is
loosenec and so regains its elasticity
In steep there IS no expenditure but con-
slant renewal of nerve power. Thought
is dormant, and the body unconsciously
performs the functions of life without
effort automatically without volition
Loss of sleep therefore means waste Of
power and finally death No sick person
should ever be awakened when sleeping
unless 1t is absolutely necessary to give
medicine or nourishment necessity that
should be decided by the physician.
DroWsiness, however, is symptom In
some diseases, and where present it is
right to rouse the patient, especially in
typhoid fever in which the system needs
food frequently and often Drowsiness
following a blow on the head should,
however, be encouraged as it is required
to allow the brain to recover from the
shock, but the stupor following poisoning
by narcotics. such as opium and bella
donna should be eombatted even roughly
If no other means will avail, for In such
cases sleep means death.
The quantity of sleep varies with the
individual, just as does the quantity of
food required. Age sex, ternperarnent
occupation, race, climate, and other fac
tors have their influence. Babes will
sleep half the time or more. and ought
never to be disturbed or awakened while
sleeping. When rested the child will
awaken of its own accord Until pu-
berty ten hours should be the nightly
ration. After this eight hours is usIJaIly
sufficient. Humboldt, following the dc
tates Of the school of Salerno, declared
that six hours was enough and seven
hours was pure laziness. Newton re-
quired eight or nine hours, while Freder
! lex the Great, Napoleon, and others re-
CURED only four or five hours; yet Bour-
! RENE Napoleon's private secretary. saws
that Napoleon often slept twelve or eigh-
teen hours after excitement was over.
me aged require less sleep than growing
youth, because they do not need the same
amount OF nerve and muscle repair. AS
the French say, "a sleepIess youth and
a sleepy old man step into their collins
as soon as they cam,
The proper time for sleep is of course
at night and in the dark. Through the
winter half as much more sleep is reauir
ed as in summer, because at that time
the body is wasting, whereas in the sum-
Tner the tendency is to gain Six hours
OF summer sleep equals about nine of
winter sleep. 1t is therefore unwise to
sleep long hours in summer and short
ones in winter
Work or watching, sorrow or suffering.
may rob us of sleep. Politicians. schol-
ars, actors, lawyers, physicians and
many others live In the world of dark
ness, when the world of light is asleep;
some from choice, some from the obliga-
items of necessity All sooner or later
become wrecks, shattered on the rock
of unrest. And yet there are a few
gluttons of sleep who sleep too much-for
too much sleep is injurious and It is also
fattening.
Sometimes the sleep is SO heavy that
IT is stupor, unrestful and disturbed by
Dreams and the wish kindly intended
that one may have pleasant dreams is
really not nice for dreamful sleep Is
not refreshing sleep. Such sleep ia
sometimes due to a hearty meal before
bedtime or to an unventilated room, for
bad air may cause restlessness and head
ache. And such sleep sometimes portends
disease, especially after exposure to the
intepSe heat Of summer, and it often
nni1ltS To kil5raa1r disease a No