The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-06-16
A NAP AFTER A MEAL
ONE or THE BEST ITEMS IN THE
LIST OF LIFE PReSERVeRs.
rh~ Postprsndtsi Restfui Dose II
IAN Aid to Coed Health aud More In
Accord With Physiological Re
auiremeuts Than Esercise.

Accord With Physiological Re
auiremeuts Than Exercise.
The ajorty of people take meal OF
some kind between the hours of IL and
. daily, says physician. With II num-
ber of persons this meal assumes the
form OF "A substantial dinner, while
with others IL amounts to nothing more
than light luncheon. In either case,
however, the rcpaSt requires Ia hc al
gestcS. and this ncccssitates some mod
lficatlon OF the activities of the brain,
since neither that organ nor those con.
ccrned In the processes OF digestion are
capable OF good work when an attempt
Is made TO put forth their energies 81
multaneously.
The exceedingly complex processes "
digestion and assimilation whereby
dead animal and vegetable matters
are transformed into living human It's
sues demand FOR their rapid ami
healthy performance an Increased cir
culation of blood I'm the stomach ANA
ancillary organs as well MS cOnCCn.
tration of nervous energy I'm tho same
region. Now. increase OF circulation I'm
one organ or set OF organs cutailS a
dminution In the others. Consequent
the supply OF blood 10 the brain is cur
tailed Immediately after a meal has
been eaten. and since the blood Us the
life the higher functions of that great
organ are performed only with aim
Guilty II az all
A tendency 10 drowsincSs, confusion
OF thought and inability 10 mako any
great mental effort are among the re
suits OF n diminished cerebral clrcula.
tion. These feelings are. therefore. CN
pcrlenced by most persons after n
meal, and they are the more pre-.
nounccd In proportion 10 the greater
amount of digestive energy expended.
Since brain worl, Of good quality can.
not bc produced while the processes OF
digestion are I'm active operation II II
wise not to attempt it n is mover
prudent To thwart the bcncnccnt mtcn.
tions Of nature Many persons strug.
gle against the mental and physical
lcthargy that accompany the earlier
stages OF the digestive act. apparent.
ly under the dcluslon that all time
given To the important business OF
building up ana repairing their tissues
Is time wasted. So far from this be-
ing the ease. a well spent postprandial
interval tends to the preservation and
proongation Of life.
If n tendency 10 drowsincss is felt
sleep should bc allowed to prevail for
the provcrbial forty winks" IL iusti-
fed 10y science \ ten or fifteen min.
utcs' nap after n meal, curiously
enough. will enable many II brain
worker To arise refreshed who NIGH,
have spent an hour or two in n vain
and mentally confused struggle against
coffee abont nm hour after "A Hight
luncheon will facilitate and expedite
the last stages of gastric digestion and
so assist In the rapid re-cstablishment
OF mental vigor aud clcarncss Of mind.
There are some persons who instead
OF resting after luncheon or early din.
ner take some form of exercise, such
as walking or cycling If the meal has
been AT all substantial muscular cXcr-
else must tend to retord ana weaken
digestion by Withdrawing certain
modcum OF nerve energy 10 the lower
limbs and the ccnters which govern
their movements aud diminishing the
circulation In the alimcntnry canal by
increasing II In the legs aud arms. Tn.
less their digestive powers are very
keen people who take active exercise
after food find that the process of di-
gestion Is thereby only prolonged
ON many grounds rest after food Is
more In accordance with physiological
requirements than exercise, and the
afternoon nap. so scored at by the
needless, Is measure 10 be not only
defended but recommended. II Is a
practice beneficial not only 90 diges.
tl0n, but 10 many Of the other func-
tons Of the body. Rest Is the one
thing nccdful In this restless age, and
Il is never so necessary aB i'm the small
hours of the afternoons
Among the many generally unsus
pected benefits conferred On the post
meridian sleeper rest Of the heart and
systemic circulation must bc placed In
the front rank. Now. tho more rest.
within the limits of health, The heart ia
able 10 obtain the more efficiently and
fhc longer will IL continue 10 carry on
~ work. for the heart Is, With most
peOplc. n much oycrwOrkod organ, and
any Indulgence given II will bc repaid
several times over.
Another very important organ which
obtains much needed rest during the
afternoon nap r. the pyc There ~ no
reason why people should be constant.
~ laying waste the powers of the or,
gan of vision, the optic nerve aud the
visual ccntcrs Of the brain Itself by
continual gazing AZ whatever trivial
objects chance 20 present themselves
within the field ~ vision. Even the
most casual OF "thlngs seen entails an
expenditure of nerve energy, aud an
adjustment of accommodation wear
and tear OF the exceedingly hnc ana
complex ocular mechanism and cor.
responding exhaustion ~ the nerve
cells constituting The visual centcrs Of
the brain. all ~ which must tend ultl-
mstely 10 curtall the period during
which the visual sense should be at its
best. London Chronicle.
"