“Dr. Harwood, Professor of Anatomy at Cambridge, took two pointers who were equally hungry, and fed them equally well,—one he suffered to follow the promptings of Instinct—curled himself round till he was comfortable—and went to sleep, as animals generally do after eating—the other was kept for about two hours in constant exercise. On his return home—the two Dogs were killed.—In the Stomach of the one who had been quiet and asleep, all the food was digested; in the Stomach of the other, that process was hardly begun.”
“Quiet of Body and Mind for two hours after Dinner, is certainly useful to the Studious, the Delicate, and the Invalid.”—Adair on Diet, p. 44.
“After Dinner, rest for three hours.”—Abernethy’s Surgical Obs. 8vo. 1817, p. 93.
“After Dinner sit a while.”—Eng. Prov.
“If you have a strong propensity to Sleep after Dinner—indulge it, the process of Digestion goes on much better during Sleep, and I have always found an irresistible propensity to it—whenever Dyspeptic symptoms were considerable.”—Waller on Incubus, 1816, p. 109.
“Aged Men—and weake bodies, a short Sleepe after Dinner doth help to nourish.”—Lord Bacon’s Nat. Hist. Cent. I. 57.
CLOTHES.
Of all the Customs of Clothing, the most extremely absurd is the usual arrangement of Bed Clothes, which in order as the chambermaid fancies to make the Bed look pretty in the Day time—are left long at the head, that they may cover the Pillows; when they are turned down, You have an intolerable load on your Lungs, and that part of the Body which is most exposed during the day—is smothered at night—with double the quantity of Clothes that any other part has.