Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-11-23
NATURE SHOWS US
HOW TO SLEEEP
lBy Dr. Thomas Z. brunk.l

II we search natures secrets
among the lower classes Of animal;
and in the construction of the hu
man body, we certainly will find thai
she designed a plan that all animals
seem to follow.
Man is the only animal that sleeps
on his back. and with all his boasted
superiority. all his learning and study
OF the minute things in nature, he
still persists to choose the back
down" position while asleep. Some,
OF course, sleep on their sides or
sharp edge of the body, and The ma
jority OF people believe that such a
pose IL decidedly the best.
In our advancement In medicine,
hospital construction. technique In
operation. nicely in the art OF nurs-
ing. and In elaborate hygienic de-
tails for the preservation and attain
ment OF health. the one great provis-
ion nature intended for the recupera-
ton OF fatigue and lost health has
manifestly been ignored overlooked
or neglected.
Sleep is natures provision for rest
and repair. yet by our injunction Of
"Sleep on your back and don't
move" we impose a position on the
patient that in many cases does seri-
Gus harm. Anatomical facts prove
that nature never intended us TO
sleep back down" Many serious
ailments develop from positions
taken while asleep.
Survey the whole field OF lower
animals have vertebral column
Not one sleeps on its back. The
sloth ID said to sleep at times while
clinging to branches OF trees back
downward. This is the only possible
exception. The dog, cat horse, and
COW sleep on the right abdominal
side. This fact. coupled with the
one that they never fail TO select
this position when they seek repose.
should cause us TO seek reason for
consistency
Conclusive evidence that man
should sleep on his liver or right
Ghost and abdomen we find In the
anatomical structures In the chest
and abdomen. The llgaments hold
iSS In place the heart. lungs, stom-
'ach, liver. kidneys, intestlnes, and
other vlsceral organs, are designed
TO hold these organs from falling
forward, not backward. At a ro-
mote geological period, when man
went on all fours. these Ilgaments
were all brought into full use While
nature has adjusted Itself 10 new
conditions TO some extent, ligaments
that were In man during the plloeeno
period, three or four million years
ago, are stlll OF the same number.
In the same location. and OF about
the same size, Therefore. TO com
f'' y" WV NNhuhho VI nhNNits we
should attempt at all times. and es.
peeially during sleep. to assume those
positions that allow of the greatest
freedom 10 each organ. that Il may
Discharge It's functions best.
There are many economies In the
practice of sleeping on the breast.
The circulation Is better with the
viscera downward aud their weight
awny from the great aorta artery.
which carries the blood from the
heart aud away from the large vena
eavae. which carry Il back again.
These large vessels lie against the
vertebral column and behind tho
heart, stomach, liver. intestlnes,
uterus. aud bladder When lying ON
the back. these heavy ORGANS press
upon these vessels. aud naturally re-
tard the circulation and make the
work OF the heart harder all night.
IL Is a well-knOwn fact among physl |
clans that old people who lie on their
backs a few days do not usually die
from tho disease that brought them