PHYSICAL EDUCATIOX. 341 



strange beds, as well as bedfellows. Skobeleff's troopers bad to sleep 

 in dug-outs on tbe woodless ridges of tbe Balkan ; and during Key's 

 retreat from Moscow, tbe commander bimself bad once to pass a nigbt 

 in a root-bouse, wbere a few rotten boards and a bundle of straw 

 formed bis only protection against a raging snow-storm. 



But " rougbing it " teacbes some useful lessons, and soldiers and 

 bunters often learn by experience tbat sleep under sucb circumstances 

 depends upon tbe possibility of getting the feet icarm rain in tbe 

 face, or even a wet overcoat, is less anti-bypnotic tban cbilled toes. 

 In a trapper's bivouac tbe sleepers generally lie in a circle around tbe 

 camp-fire, witb tbeir feet toward tbe glowing embers, and tbe Swiss 

 mountaineers use foot-sacks long socks of a felt-like stuff, and wide 

 enougb to leave room for a lot of dry leaves, besides two or tbree ^^airs 

 of stockings. Botb metbods are practical applications of Dr. Cald- 

 well's tbeory tbat a decrease of tbe cerebral blood-circulation bas a 

 somniferous influence ; in otber words, tbat sleep can be promoted by 

 warming tbe extremities of tbe body, and tbus diverting tbe blood 

 from tbe bead. 



In-doors, summer often reverses tbe problem ; in tbe dog-days, 

 wben tbe amount of bedclotbing bas to be reduced to a minimum, 

 tbe main point is to cool tbe bead by lowering tbe temperature of 

 tbe bedroom. Open windows, a bard, smootb mattress, linen bed- 

 sbeets, and a ligbt supper will generally answer tbe purpose ; in 

 tbe lower latitudes, George Combe recommends glazed brick floors, 

 frequent sprinklings, and in very bot nigbts a tub witb ice. And wby 

 not ? Tbe Turkisb residents of Damascus pass tbe summer nigbts 

 in tbe yeyirman or fountain-ball of tbeir cool bouses, and tbe gar- 

 rison soldiers of San Juan d'Ulloa deem it a special privilege to sleep 

 on tbe floating wbarf, exposed to tbe spray and tbe fitful swell of tbe 

 Gulf-tide. 



In tbe "West Indies and tbe Mississippi Yalley, mosquito-bars are 

 a sad necessity, but all sensible people sbould be glad tbat tbe Frencb 

 canopy-beds are going out of fasbion. Tbe Frencb are rigbt, tbougb, 

 in making cbildren over ten years sleep alone ; it is one of tbe rare 

 instances of an etiquette law being supported by a valid reason. To 

 tbose wbo can afford it. Dr. Franklin recommends even two beds per 

 individual, and in sweltering summer nigbts it is certainly a blessing 

 to be able to leave a bot bed for a cool one ; in tbe large family guest- 

 cbambers of a German botel, sleepless travelers can tbus cbange tbe 

 beds like relay-borses. Tbe builders of tbe old Englisb country-seats 

 seem to bave made it a rule to bave tbe bouses face due soutb, witb 

 few or no windows on tbe nortb side, and in sucb buildings tbe east 

 windows would make tbe best bedroom fronts, botb on account of tbe 

 evening sbade and tbe monitory morning sun. In our Xortbwestern 

 Territories, wbere tbe tbermometer ranges from 90 above zero to 45 

 below, it would be no bad plan to vary tbe location of tbe bedcbam- 



