The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-23
Health and Sanitation

no one will experience any discomfort
whatever in lying in this position for
number of hours. This is the posi-
tion to which I once referred as lying
on ones liver-your own liver. There
is no harm to change for a short time
to the left side, but it will usually be
of short duration, as the anatomical
structures in the chest and abdomen
call for sleeping on the liver, or right
chest and abdomen, and thus, also, avoid
crowding the heart. Therefore, to com
ply with the demands of nature. we
should attempt to assume those positions
at all times that will allow of the
greatest freedom of each organ to per-
form its functions with the least DOS
sible restriction, friction or hindrance.
AS rule, patients recover more rapid
ly if allowed to sleep face downward as
described. When they assume this posi-
ton l am informed that they rest
easier, have less pain and recover SOON
er This recalls to my mind the case
of doctor who had typhoid fever. He
claimed that by resting on the right
side of his chest and abdomen-on his
liver-he had less aggravated symp-
toms in the bowls, and in many other
respects was benefited, and his return
to health was more speedy.
Other Benefits Gained
Better digestion is also assured when
sleeping face downward, especially if
one retires with undigested food in the
stomach. When sleeping on the back,
the full stomach or partially filled stom-
ach is resting upon the great solar
lplexus that lies just back of it. When
this large mass of nerves-nearly as
large as ones hands pressed upon
or irritated, digestion is disturbed, re-
tarded and, in some cases, stopped.
Sour stomach, gas and heartburn usual
|ly result, to say nothing of insomnia
and bad dreams.
Sounder sleep is also the result of the
correct position. Whyi Because with
the face downward, the blood, in COM
ing from the brain, all collects at the
back of the head just inside Of the
skull, at a place called torcular hero
phil. But when sleeping face down.
ward, the flow Of the blood from this
point is downward and, therefore, free
ly drains the blood from the brain;
hence, the sleep is sound, restful, re-
operative, and the dreams, if any, are
pleasant.
The prevention Of snoring, also, may
be considered under the benefits to be
derived from correct sleeping posi-
ton. This nocturnal songster-some-
times songstress never receives
al encore from listening audience Of
one or more, may be-and should be-
eliminated from the program.
As snoring is caused largely by the
tongue falling back into the pharynx
during sleep, thereby filling the pharyn-
geal space so that the air has diff
Guilty in getting into the lungs, lying
with the face downward prevents this,
because the tongue will naturally gravi-
tate away from the pharynx, leaving it
open and free for the admission of air.
During colds or any nasal or pharyn-
geal troubles that produce discharges,
sleeping with the face downward gives
a freer outlet to the secretions from
the nose and mouth, without first CO.
ing back into the throat to irritate the
there and thus disturbing
the sleep; or by drying out the mouth
and thus inducing mouth breathing.
While on the back the turbinate bodies
in the nose swell more than they do
when lying on the face. This is an i'm
portant item, for everyone knows that
the most disagreeable feature of a cold
is the closing of the nose at night 50
that mouth breathing results