Year: 1873

Coaxing Slumber


There is no reason TO doubt the fact,


that the most wakeiul person will find


it easy enough to go to sleep if he heeds


the words of the scientific people, and


sets about the matter i'll such II way that


"there shall be an accumulation in the


organism of the products of oxidation,


and mainly of carbonic acid, that accu


mutation being favored and controlled


by reflex action of the nervous system,


which thus protects the organism from
excessive oxidation, and also allows the
organism to manifest its normal Gunc-
tional activity throughout II succeeding
rhythmic period.


But Ms there are persons who might
worry their minds by endeayoring to ar
range matters according to this pro-
gramme, we may as well try to consider
this desirable Rhythmic period ~ from
II simpler point OF view,


The matter has been 50 thoroughly
discussed in the journals of the land,
ever since sleeplessness became ma
tional disease, that we do not pretend to
offer any new idess in regard to it. We
will merely assert, that if we want to
go to sleep, and find ourselves unable
to do so in the ordinary way, it isan eX-
cellent plan to fix our mind upon some
thing uninteresting, and to keep it
there. Here is the gist Of nearly every
thing that has been said about the mem
tai processes of inducing sleep.


Nearly every one knows of something
or somebody decidedly uninteresting,
and there are those who could afford to
furnish subjects of this nature to their
friends. But it must be admitted that
it is hard to keep ones mind at work
upon dull and unengrossing theme.
There is constant tendency to get in
terested in something and so keep
awake. Generally it is the fact that we
are awake and ought to be asleep that
occupies our minds, and few subjects
could possess moro painful interest Mt
the time. In consequence OF this ten
dency, this affinity of the mind for mat
ters of interest, it is often necessary to
give color Of pleasurable sensation to
the object of mental contemplation. In
this way we can think Of the thing long
enough to get peri, city tired out, and
so, unconsciously, drop off into slumbcr


For instance, suppose we image that
we are rowing n boat, regularly and
steadily, along II quiet and heavily
shaded stream. This is Il most excel
lent imagination to go to sleep upon.
We know man who fell into slumber
every night for months thinking upon
this fancy, and in all that time he never
'rowed his boat quarter of Il mile from
the starting place Well, this idea of
a boat and pair of oars may be SO eX-
tremely uninteresting to some men, that
it would be impossible for them to keep
their minds upon it long enough to pro-
duce the proper effect. In such case
it might be well to put lady in the
stern of the boat. But it is necessary
to be careful here. This female must
not be very interesting. We would re-
commend lady not too young; some
quiet, thoughtful person, with what IL
known as "a superior mind.
There should be but little conversation, |
and that of nature to induce somnO-
lent reflection. For instance, the lady |
might remark, after period of silence,
that she should think that people living
in Constantinople would always feel
under the influence of II
spell. Now one might be quite certain
that such remark, made by thought
iul woman with superior mind, would
nave something in it, and the quiet per-
,istence necessary to discover the refer
ence to the fact that few OF the oppor-
tunities for spelling as C-o-n-s-t-a-n't-i- ,
l-o-p-l-e, together with the gentle and
exercise with the oars, will {
,e almost certain to put one to sleep {
f anything can.


Persons who are III the habit OF lying
wake in the morning, before it is time
o get up, will often find ssthat if they
an but impress it upon their minds
hat they ought to get up immediately,
nd that it is wrong for them to lie still |
moment longer, the bed will begin to
row more attractive, and that the gen.
lie drowsiness which besets people who
ought to get out of bed, but who want
20 stay there, will very probably steal
upon them. Every one who has ever
wished he could be as delightfully."- |
sleepy on Sunday or holiday mornings
as he is on days when he mustrise early
to his work, will appreciate this PLAN
Scribners.