940 SLEEP THE PERIOD OF GROWTH. 



its dimensions during sleep, but diminishes while 

 awake, and in a state of action, would appear 

 from the fact, (which I have verified by nu- 

 merous measurements,) that an ordinary sized 

 man is from 8 lines to one inch taller in the 

 morning, after a good night's repose, than in the 

 evening. Some Physiologists have maintained 

 that this is owing to an expansion of the inter- 

 vertebral cartilages, after the superincumbent 

 weight of the body is removed, and to their com- 

 pression when in the erect posture. But that it 

 is owing to increased growth of the whole body, 

 is proved by the smoothness and plumpness of 

 the features and limbs, the rapid healing of 

 wounds, and the speedy recovery from the wast- 

 ing effects of long illness, during and after sound 

 repose, by which the animal frame is filled with 

 new life, exhaustion removed, the vivacity of the 

 mind and the vigour of the muscles restored. 



Thus it is evident, that sleep is the " chief 

 nourisher in life's feast ;" and " a remedy for 

 every curable disease," as long ago observed by 

 Menander. Nor is it less certain, that the whole 

 body is wasted, and the features contracted, after 

 long watching, by which the vis medicatrix nature 

 is diminished, and that nothing tends more ef- 

 fectually to injure the constitution than loss of 

 sleep, by which it is rendered extremely liable to 

 the noxious influence of cold, malaria, and other 

 causes of disease. It is also worthy of notice, that 



