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Perfect Physical Repose

Perfect Physical Repose image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
November
Year
1893
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

There is an oíd story of an Inuian and a "paleface," -who, after a long day's jonrney, lay down in a deserted cabin at nightfall to rest. The Indian, wrapping himself in his blanket, stretched himself on the floor of the cabin with his feet to the lire and was soon asleep. His companion meantime has espied a feather bed in another room, and congratulating himself on his discovery jumped in and was also soon in a doze. With the first ra's of the morning light the Indian rose ref reshed and ready for the day's task. He went to arouse his cotnrade, when, lol he fonnd him dead f rom the exhaustion of the previous day. Luxurious repose ia never true phj'sical rest. To enjoy that blessing to its fullest extent freedom f rom restraint must be allowed every part of the body. A firm surface is required - one that will tend to keep the body stretched out at full length, that the lungs and heart may feel no sense of restriction by compression of the chest walls, and that the blood may havo uninterrupted course in üvery direction. We should never be guilty of supposing that the person whoni we saw sitting in a chair with his chin pressing on his sunken chest was enjoying true physical rest, no matter how fast asleep he might appear to be. The tendency of the body to gravitate toward the lowest part of a feather bed is beyond remedy. In this position the whole body is often so curled up that no one part is free from constriction. The chest walls are caved in, and the whole body suffers from the consequent lack of proper oxygenation of the blood and the restriction which is placed upon its general circulation. The blood moves sluggishly, and as a result the condition of "fat and flabby" is superinduced. This condition is never likelv to follow the constant use of a firm hair mattress, for the blood has no chance to get dropsical from too sluggish a circulation. Perfect physical repose, like perfect physical activity, is dependent apon a proper equilibriura of the bodily functions during slumber. The story of the Indian and the white man inight easily have been founded on

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier