Amador ledger., 1903-09-25
CARE FOR SLEEPERS|
A CLUB WHERE DOING MEMBERS
ARE NEVER DISTURBED.


Custom. Which Is Not Allowed to
Be Violated-A Short sleep Which
Culniinated 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 IL
brary or sitting room. If visitor in
quires for him he is "out." Other mem
bers, if 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. "It is
wrong under any circumstances" he
said, ''to awaken man who has fallen
into natural sleep. How do you
know but it is the first time he has
been able to sleep for hours or even
days2 This phenomenon of sleep is a
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 long trolley
ride in the evening simply to produce
feeling of sleepiness? If man looks
straight ahead of him or reads a news
paper his ride will do him little good.
He might as we'll remain at home on
his front stoop. But If he looks about
him, constantly shifting his gaze from
one scene to another, he gets into a
state of drowsiness such as is brought
about by artificial means when 1t is
called hypnotism. That Is why SO
many men feel like doing in the club
after they come in from ride or a
drive in the park
"Sleep induced by overeating is not
natural. That brought about by stimu-
lants is nothing but blood poisoning
and stupor. 1t may be desirable and
even necessary in some cases to pro-
duce this stupor. But the state into
which the brain is thrown is not sleep.
If natural sleep follows, it is a con-
tingency and not the effect of the
stimulant. But I was going to tell
you story, not deliver a medical lee
ture. l must not mention names, but
many old club men Of New York will
remember the tragedy.
There was a man who was quite
prominent, both in business and So
cial way, in the life Of this city. A
dreadful family misfortune brought on
insomnia. He would sometimes go
forty-eight hours without sleep; then
after normal night or two he would
not be able to sleep for a week. All
his life until his trouble came upon
him he bad been habitually a heavy
sleeper. After two or three months of
this insomnia attack his health began
to give way. Physicians tried all the
usual means Of overcoming the diff
Guilty, but failed. He was prescribed
sleeping drafts until 1t became dan
gerous to continue them longer.
"Then he went to Europe, taking a
competent young physician of my ac-
qua1ntance as companion. Specialists
abroad prescribed walking and noun
tain climbing, but they discovered that
there is nothing to be gained by in
creasing the fatigue of the body when
worry Of mind will not allow the re-
pose to which the limbs are entitled.
The man came home little the better
for his trip. He retired from business.
His strength wasted away.
Finally by one of those curious
freaks Of nature we occasionally
caught him doing at the club. All
who knew his misfortune sympathized
with him. We moved about as though
in sick chamber until he awoke. He
seldom slept more than twenty min
utes and told US that his restlessness
at night continued. One afternoon he
came in positively drowsy: To friend
he said:
"I feel as though 1 could sleep for a
week, but l can't sleep in my own
home-no. Find me bed here
1--WE got him upstairs to q room and
put man on guard at the door, with
instructions to see that no servant was
allowed to disturb him or make noise.
An hour or so afterward an accident
In the kitchen brought the fire engines
up to the door. There was really no
danger but before a ladder could be
raised poor Blanks body came tum-
bling into the area.
"He was killed. Suicide? No. 1t
was the opinion of all of us that sud-
den awakening from the first sound
sleep he had enjoyed for more than a
year upset his mind and that when he
was awakened by the noise he did not
realize where he was. In frenzy he
leaped from the window."-New York