•
Vital actions are at their maximum in the day, and their
minimum in the night, and the action of the one and the
negation of the other may be in excess or defect, and need
regulation. Thus the action of the day may be in excess,
from great sunlight, and from too much or too frequently
repeated food; or too variable by long intervals between
meals ; whilst the negation of the night would be too great
if the food taken in the day had been in defect, or the day-
light had been absent. So the former may be in defect,
from the absence of light, food, and wakefulness; and the
latter in excess, from the presence of those influences. In'
various states of the system food should be withheld in the
day ; and in others, or even in the same, given at night.
66 HOUELT PULSATION AND

So it is evident^ from tbe negation of the nighty that
night labonr^ whether it be stndy^ bodily work^ trayelling^
or marchings must be performed when the system is the
least able to bear it^ and^ consequently^ jrhen it wiQ be less
^Bdently perfi:^ed^ or performed with moi^e wear and tear
of the cfystem.
Sleep is accompanied by a mndb lower state of bo^
fdnctions^ in the nighty than can be obtained by sleep during
the day. Hence day sleep is less beneficial than night sleep^
and^ as the lowest state of these functions is not attained
nntQ the second or third honr of ideepj early retiring to rest
obtains better sleep than rest sought in the early mpniing>
when the rate of both functions is increasing.
