Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-06-02
CARE FOB SLEEPE ERS
A CLUB WHERE DOING MEMBERS
ARE NEVER DISTURBED.

There IN a Good Reason For ghis
Custom, Which In Not Allowed to
he Ni"iateG-A Short siceassSyhicll
eliminated In q Tragedy.
There is an exclusive club in Upper
New York whore the employees are for
biddcn from awakening any member
who drops asleep in his chair In the IL
bia.y or sitting room. II visitor In
qulres for him he Is ''outs Other mem
bers;' II they SOC him, carry on their
conversation in low tones or so to the
smoking room or cafe. Very few new
members arc 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 1t. ut IL
wrong under any circumstances" ne
said, Ito awaken man Who has fallen.
Into natural slocp. How do you
know but 1t IL the first time he has
been able to sleep for hours or even
days? This phenomenon of sleep is a
very complicated one. There ure many
grades OF sleep, and they affect differ
ent men in different ways. Dreams
are the result Of defective or parsia,
sleep, Gnd their common occurrence
In the lighter varieties Of the state
shows that tho rest taken by most per-
sons is not profound or continuous
even while 1t lasts.
Don't you Gnow that scores of per-
sonsri In New York tnke Il long trolley
ride in the evening simply to produce
feeling of sleepinessY IL man looks
straight ahead of him or reads n news
paper his ride will do him little good.
He might MS we'll remain at homo ON
his front stoop. But If he looks about
him, constantly shifting his gaze from
one scene to another, he gets into q
state of drowsiness such ns Is brought
about by artificial means when 1t is
called hypnotisn. Tint Is why so
many men feel like DOING in the club
after they come in from ride or a
drive b. the park.
Sleep induced by overcating is not
natural. That Brought about by stimu-
lants is nothing but blood poisoning
and stupor. 1t may be desirable 1hd
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, 1t is q CON
tingcncy and not the OBJECT OF the
atimulant. But I was going to tell
you a story, not deliver medical lec-
ture must not mention names, but
many old club men Of New York will
remember the tragedy.
"Ilerc was man who was quite
prominent. both IN business and So
cinl why, In the life OF this city. A
dreadful family misfortune brought on
insomnia. He would sometimes go
roty-cight hours without sleep; then
after n normal night or two he would
not be nble to sleep for q week. All
his life until his trouble came upon
him lie had been hubitually heavy
sleeper. After two or three months of
this insomnia attack his health began
10 give way. Physicians tried all the
usual means OF overcoming the diff
.,lty, but failed. He was prescribed
gerous to continue them longer.
'Then he went to Europe, taking a
competent young physician Of my ac-
quaintance as companion. Specialists
abroad prescribed walking and noun
tain climbing. but they discovered that
there is nothing to be gained by IN
crcaslng the fntigue Of the body when
worry Of mind will not allow the re-
pose to which the limbs nre entitled.
The man came homo little the better
for his trip. He retired from business.
Ills 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 nwoko. BE
seldom slept more than twenty min
ntcs and told ,ls that his restlessness
at night continued. One afternoon he
came In positively drowsy. To friend
he said:
"'l feel as though could sleep for
week. but can't sleep in my own
honle--na Find me a bed here
1--WE got him upstairs to room ana
put man OH guard ut the door, with
Instructions to see that no servant was
allowed to disturb him or make noise.
An hour or SO aftcrward an accident
In the kitchen brought the fire engines
up to the door. There was really no
danger, but before ladder could be
raised poor Blanks body came tum-
bling into the area.
"He was killed. suicide9 No. It
was the opinion of all Of US that sud-
den awakening from the first sound
sleep ho had enjoyed for more than a
year upset his mind and that when he
was awakened by the noise he did not
realize where be was In frenzy he
leaped from the window York
Times