The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-08-14
CARE FOR SLEEPERS
A CLUB WHERE DOING MEMBERS
ARE NEVER DISTURBED.
There Is "a Good Reason For This
Custom. which IL Not Allowed 20
he violated--A short sleep which
CuImInnied In "a Tragedy.

wv htfo"to
he vioiated--A short sleep which
Cuiminntcd In "a Tragedy.
There is an exclusive club I'm upper
New York where the employees are for.
bldden from awakening any member
who drops asleep In his chair I'm the H.
brary or sitting room. If visitor IN
bers, If they see him. carry on their
conversation In low tones or 20 To the
smoking room or cafe Very few new
members are admitted to the club, but
those who are fortunate enough to get
I'm or those who bring visitors are re-
minded OF this custom.
A physician who belongs 10 the club
explained the reason OF II. 1T In
wrong under any circumstances, lie
said, Ito awaken man who has fallen
into natural sleep. How do you
know but II Is the first time he has
been able 10 sleep for hours or even
days? This phenomenon Of sleep Is a
very complicated one. There are mnny
grades OF sleep, and they affect differ
cnt men I'm different ways. Dreams
arc the result Of defective or partial
sleep, and their common occurrence
in fhe lighter varieties Of the state
shows that the rest taken by most per
sons is not profound or continuous
even while II lasts.
"Don't you know that scores Of per
sons I'm New York take long trolley
ride I'm the evening simply TO produce
n feeling Of slccpiness? If n man looks
straight ahead of him or reads news
paper his ride will do him little good.
lie might as well remain at home on
his front stoop. But II he looks about
him, constantly shifting his gaze from
one scene TO another, he gets into
state of drowsIncss such as IL brought
about by artificial means when II II
called hypnotism. That Is why so
many men feel like doing I'm the club
after they como in from ride or n
drive In the park.
"Slccp induced by ovcrcating Is not
natural. That brought about by stimu.
lants ls nothing but blood poisoning
and stupor IL may be desirable md
even necessary In some cases 10 pro
duCc this stupor. But the state into
which the brain Is thrown is not sleep.
If natural sleep follows, It Is con
tingcncy and not the effect of the
stlmulant But | was going 10 tell
you story, not deliver n medical lee
turc. must not mention names, but
many old club men Of New York will
remember the tragedy
"Thcrc was man who was quite
prominent, both I'm business and 40
cial way, I'm the life Of this city. A
dreadful family misfortune brought on
insomnia. He would sometimes 10
forty-cight hours without sleep; then
after normal night or two hc would
not bc nblc 10 sleep for week. All
his life until his trouble came upon
him hc had been habitunlly 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. lie was prescribed
sleeping drafts until Il became dan
gcrous to continue them longer
"Thcn he went 10 Europe, taking
competent young physician of my nc
quaiutanCe ns companion. Specialists
abroad prescribed walking and noun
tain climbing, but they discovered that
there is nothing TO be gained by In
crcasng the fatigue OF the body when
worry of mind will not allow the re-
pose to which the limbs are entitled.
The man came homo little the better
for his trip lie retired from business.
His strength wasted away.
FINALLY by one OF those curious
freaks Of nature we occasionally
caught him doing nc the club. All
who knew his misfortune sympathlzcd
with him. We moycd about ms though
i'm sick chamber until he awokc. He
seldom slept more than twenty min
utcs and told us that his rcstlcssncss
at night continued, One afternoon he
came in positively drowsy. TO n friend
he said:
e., "I fcetas though could sleep for n
week but can't sleep in my own
homc-no. Find me bed here
eve got him upstairs 10 room nnd
put a man on guard nj the door with
instructions TO see that no servant was
allowed to disturb him or make n noise.
An hour or SO aftcrward m accident
I'm the kitchen brought the fire engines
up to the door. There was really no
danger. but before ladder could he
raised poor Blanks body came tum'
bling into the area.
Gle was killed. Suicide? No. II
was the opinion of all of us that sud
den awakening from the first sound
sleep he had enjoyed for more than n
year upset his mind and that when he
was awakened 10y the noise he did not
realize where he was. In frenzy he
lcapcd from the window. New York
Times.
IN .,ss