The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-09-04
CARE FOR sLEEPERs
A CLUB WHERE DOING MEMBERS
ARE NEVER DISTURBED.

There Is IA Good Reason For This
Custom, Which Is Not Allowed to
he ViOlated-A short Sleep which
eliminated In a Tragedy.
There is an exclusive club in upper
New York where the employees are for
hidden from awakening any member
who drops asleep in his chair in the Ii
brary or sitting room. If visitor in
quires for him he is out" Other mem
bers, il they see him, carry on their
conversation in low tones or go to the
smoking room or cafe. Very few new
members are admitted to the club, but
those who are fortunate enough to get
in or those who bring visitors are re-
minded of this custom.
A physician who belongs to the club
explained the reason of it. 1T is
wrong under any circumstances" lie
said, "to awaken man who has fallen
into natural sleep. How do you
know but 1t is the first time he has
been able to sleep for hours or even
days? This phenomenon of sleep is q
very complicated one. There are many
grades of sleep, and they affect differ
ent men in different ways. Dreams
are the result of defective or partial
sleep, and their common occurrence
in the lighter varieties of the state
shows that the rest taken by most per
sons is not profound or continuous
even while it lasts.
Don't you know that scores of per
sons in New York take a long trolley
ride in the evening simply to produce
a feeling of sleepiness? If man looks
paper his ride will do him little good
! He might as we'll remain at home OF
his front st0op But if he looks abou
him, constantly shifting his gaze from
one scene to another, he gets into {
state Of drowsiness such as is brought
about by artificial means when it /:
called hypnotism. That is why 81
many men feel like doing in the clul
after they come i'll from ride or 1
drive in the park.
"Sleep induced by overeating is no
natural That brought about by stimu
lants is nothing but blood poisoning
and stupor. 1t may be desirable ant
even necessary in some cases to pro
duce this stupor. But the state int
which the brain is thrown is not sleep
If natural sleep follows, 1t is con
tingency and not the effect OF thu
stimulant. But l was going to tel
you a story, not deliver medical lee
| ture. | must not mention names, bu
many old club men of New York will
remember the tragedy.
"There was man who was quit
prominent, both in a business and so
cial way, in the life of this city.
dreadful family misfortune brought OF
insomnia. He would sometimes &,
f0rty-eight hours without sleep; thel
| after normal night or two he would
not be able to sleep for week. Al
his life until his trouble came upol
him he had been habitually a heav.
sleeper. After two or three months 0
this insomnia attack his health begal
to give way. Physicians tried all tn
usual means of overcoming the diff
Guilty, but failed. He was prescribe,
sleeping drafts until it became dan
gerous to continue them longer.
"Then he went to Europe, taking
competent young physician of my &C
Quaintance as companion. Specialist
! IL nd
tain climbing, but they discovered tina
there is nothing to be gained by in
creasing the fatigue of the body whel
worry of mind will not allow the re
pose to which the limbs are entitled
The man came home little the bette
for his trip. He retired from business
His strength wasted away.
FINALLY by one Of those curiOu
freaks Of nature we occasionally
caught him doing at the club. Al
who knew his misfortune sympathize,
with him. We moved about as thougl
In sick chamber until he swoke. IL
seldom slept more than twenty min
utes and told us that his restlessnes
at night continued. One afternoon h
came in positively drowsy. To frien,
he said
"T feel as though could sleep for
week, but 1 can't sleep in my owl
home--no. Find me bed here
1--WE got him upstairs to room ant
put man on guard at the door, wit
instructions to see that no servant wa
allowed TO disturb him or make noise
An hour or so afterward an acciden
in the kitchen brought the fire engine
up to the door, There was really n
danger, but before a ladder could b
raised poor Blanks body came tum
bling into the area.
HE was killed Suicide? No. /
was the opinion Of all of us that sud
den awakening from the first SCUM
sleep he had enjoyed for more than
year upset his mind and that when b
was awakened by the noise he did no
realize where he was. In frenzy b
leaped from the window."-New Yorl
I Times