Year: 1870

! The following is an extract from Ed


wart Everett Hale's lecture on sleep:


He quoted DR.. Hammond on the sub


ject, III which it was shown that sleel


was caused by less quantity of BLOOD


passing through the brain in that state


Thus was set at rest the ancient theor
lists assertion of an overflow of blood
to the head produced drowsiness. The
kind OF sleep produced by an influx O.
blood to the brain was stupor; not the
sweet restorer produced by healthy ma


ture. Sleep was a duty and ought tc
be properly regulated. It was the cen


trail duty, on the proper fulfllment o1
which all other duties rested. He ex-
ploded all old yarns about sEsix hours
sleep for maid and seven hours for q
man." They were superstition BY
consulting your physician you can
find out the quantity of repose
necessary for you. No man has right
to endure more fatigue through the
day than he could recover in sleep dur
ing the night. Bed was not a confes-
sional for that morbid priest, your own
conscience, nor an academy in which to
teach your intellect Bed was place to
sleep in-nothing more. Early rising
was good in itself-it was glorious But
if a mans health was drawn upon by
fatigue, sleep was his first duty, and
early rising would be kind of slow
suicide. Let these things be regulated
according to nature. Every duty re-
quires that man shall have his full
share of sleep before daring to enter
on his daily task. He referred to the
dread disease, sleeplessness. He would
deal with the matter in a strain as if he
were talking to one possessed of the
power of child of God to conquer the
disease. He referred to certain time
worn panaceas, and quoted the
old maxim that almost every man
was either fool or physician. Some
people recommend that patients must
sleep on the right side, some on the
left, and so on. He referred to a letter
written by DIR. Franklin to a young
friend in Paris, who asked a recipe for
pleasant dreams, in which he said that
the best remedy for unpleasant dreams
in the night was clear conscience The
moral was good, but the physiology
was faultful. He maintained that if
people would exert themselves after un-
due hours, and keep the circulation of
blood rapid in the brain, they could not
hope for sleep. In this connection he
deprecated the habit of teachers giving
tasks to children late, that they might
have them off in the morning. It was
a grave error He also gave shot at
late suppers and coffee and ices. He
said that the brain and stomach, 50
close was their relation, were almost
an organ. He would give his re-
cipe: Let the brain be gradu-
ally rested toward the close Of
day. He would not play chess, or cal
culate difficult things, or write Late in
the evening. He said that stupid
games were good at night. because..they
tended toward sleep. The lively ones
should be avoided-gambling, excite
ment, &c. He advocated private theat-
ricals, minus the exciting ones-such
as Macbeth Orchard" and the
stranger Try no opiates, unless by
order Of competent physicians; let
He recommended foot-baths fwarm),
walk-anyt thing that carried the blood
from the brain. This was simple, and
he asked all who were afflicted with
want of sleep to apply the maxims. He
said that by the agency of God, men
and women could conquer disease of
the mind, which tended mainly to
physical disease. He concluded with
the hope that those who heard him
might benefit by his words, and he
would be satisfied.