WONDERS OF SOMNAMBULISM

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1967, 7 May 1870, Page 6

WONDERS OF SOMNAMBULISM

A London" physician, in tlie intervals of active professional life, ha* employed himself with writing a series of essays upon matters that relate to the brain, nerve, and mind. The opening paper treats of those qualities in children which are derived as a " Natural Heritage" from their progenitors, which is followed by an inquiry into " Degenerations in Man." iwo very instructive oases are quoted by Dr. Pntchard from Muratori. The first relates to a young Italian noble, Signer Augustin, who was accustom! -d to walk and perform a variety of acts in his sleep. I'lie attacks were usually aunouneed by a. peculiar manner of sleep- ' ing on his back, with wide, open, staring, unmoved eyes. Vigneul Marville. an eyewitness, gives the following announcement of one occasion : " A bout midnight, Signor Augustin drew aside the bedclothes violently, arose and put on his clothes. T went up to him and held the light under his eves ; be took no notice of it. although his eyes were open and staring. After performing a varietv of movements the house, and seeking for many things, appearing occasionally to hear noi'es that were made, and to be frightened by them. he went into the stabl-\ led out his horse, mounted ; t, and gadoped to the lious? door, at which lie knocked several times. Having taken back his horse he heard a noise which tiie servants m-tde in the kitchen, and went to the door, holding hiear to the key-hole, and appeared to be liiiteniug attentively. He afterwards went to the billiard room, and enacted the motions o! the player. He then went to the harpischord an 1 played a few irregular airs. After lm ing moved ab:>ut fo.two hours he went to his room, and threw himself upon his bed, el >thed as he w:i<. and the next morning we tuind him in the same state: for as >< ten as his atta.-k cam.on. lie >lept afterwards from eight to ten hours. The servants declared that thev could e-Tiiv onh put an end to hiparoxvMn* either by tickling the s >'.es of his tee:, or blowing a trumpet i:i h\< ears.

The eas-" 1 of Negretri is r.-la'ed by Hie same author, and i- v.dua'de as having hc-n separiiclv watched by two pi.ysicians. ltigheilini and I'igatli. lie wis a servant, and had walked in his >b- : , from his eleventh year. He would often repeal in his >leep \\\-> accustom >,( duties of the day. and would carrv Trays an-l glasses about. st>read the table tor dinner with great accuracy. 'hough hjs eyes were firmly closed. Indeed it was aprurttu that he could not see. as he iivqueutiy struclc against doors and olij-cts phued in unaccustomed positions. He sometimes carried a candle; but a bo! tie substituted for it seemed to do as well. His sense of taste appeared to be imperfect, as he would eat cabbage for salad, drink water tor wine, and take coil'ee for snuff, without appearing in any case to detect the substitution.

In other cases the senses are moreawake and the intelligence more aetive. Casteili. whose case is related by Francisco Soave. was found one night asleep in the aet oi translating from Italian into French, ami lo'~'ki:'".u: out the words !r>ra a diction, ry When his candle « as extinguished hero-e and went *" seek another light. Wli-n anv ore conversed with him on any suhjoet on wliieh his mind was bent at the time. he gave rational answers: hut he .seemed to hear nothing that was said to him or near him or any oilier object. His eyes also seemed to be sensible to those objects about whieh he was immediately engaged and were quite fixed : so much so tliat in reading lie turned 'he whole head i'roiii side to side instead of his eyes. One of the mos', remarkable eases on record is related bv the Archbishop of iSuurdeaaxin tit- r.n'u,-!.■■■■■>;» M_< >h:,1h,,. . It was concerning a y.aing ]>ricst at the I'atholie seminary, who used to rio =o in his sleep and write sermons. Having written a p age he Would read it aloud ami make corrections. " I have seen," says the Archbishop. " the beginning of one ot his sermons whieh lie hail written when in his sleep; it uas well composed, but one correction surprised me. Having written at first thewords " cc diviti >nfant.' he had afterwards ell'iivd the word 'divin' a.id written over it adorable. Then perceiving that ce could not stand before the last word he had dexterously inserted a t. so as to make the word cet. He continued to write, although a card was held between his eye and the paper." J)id the histor3" stop here we should, have a web authenticated case of vision without the aid of the eyes. But the collateral circumstances show that this writing was accomplished not by sight, hut by a most accurate mental representation of the object to be obtained, a* will be further illustrated in our case. For after lie had written a page requiring correction, a

piece of black paper of the exact size was substituted for his own manuscript, and on that he made the corrections in the precise situation which they would have occupied on the original page. A very astonishing report is that which relates to his writing music in his sleeping state. which, it is said, he did with perfect precision. He asked for certain things, hut only such tilings as bore directly upon the subject of his thoughts. He detected the deceit when water was given him instead of brand y, which he asked for. Finally he knew nothing of all that transpired when he awoke; but in his next proxvrm he remembered all accurately and so lived a sort o : double life, a phenomenon, which, we believe to be universal in all cases of exalte.-'. somnambulism.