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Christian Index.
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IHifcellctneouf.
[Front Dr. Forti Family Practice.]
SLEEP WALK^VG— SOMNAMBULISM.
The hfs.obtained the name of som
nambulism, relqjnWesianything as much sleep. It
is true the eyes areJclosetl, or not used for the purposes
of vision; but the mind is* always active; and during
the time the disorder lasts, appears to be much excited.
Although the eyes are not used for the purposes of vis
ion, there are somehow, supplied to the patient the
perceotions which vision can afford; and under cir
cumstances so strange and unaccountable, that they
have been a subject, of wonder to the learned for many
ages. 1 have not undertaken to write an essay upon
this subject; but barely to introduce a case which has
occurred under my own observation—an account of
which will explain most of the phenomena which have
been witnessed in this strange disorder.
Marv Rogers, a healthy child, ten years of age, was,
on the ‘3oth of May, 1348, attacked with sleep walking.
About ten o’clock P.M., while asleep,she was noticed
to be much disturbed. After making some noise, she
arose from bed, with closed eyes, but returned as if
determined to Temain. In a few minutes, she arose
in great anger, and seemed to hold conversation with
several persons who were absent. She soon became
restless, active, and .noisy, singing and with
yirfvi rttoVPfwt+vr* ♦* V’- -v “f p isitjon ofevery-
Sfetraffbdi’falthough her eyes were closed.—
After an hour or two, she was induced to take lauda
num; and, at three o’clock fell into natural sleep, from
which at nine o’clock the next morning, she awoke
wholly unconscious of what had happened. This at
tack was witnessed by her near friends, particularly
her aunt and unde, in whose house she resided.
Symptoms of the same disorder were obvious the
next night; but passed off without any thing very re-1
markable. On the following night—June the first, at
ten o’clock, she was aroused from her sleep, laboring
under this strange excitement. I was now present.—
She arose from her bed, and commenced gathering her
books, talking loud and angrily, as if amongst those
with whom she was daily at school. This she soon
gave up, and commenced singing and dancing, or rath
er romping and jumping, with frantic and ungoverned
motions. In this violent exercise she continued, till so
exhausted that she could continue it no longer. Sever
al of the near neighbors came in, one of whom played
on an accordion, lor her amusement. Nothing could
exceed the ecstasy she evinced at the sound of the
instrument. Frantic with delight, she leaped and dan
ced, but with little skill, till exhausted she was com
pelled to stop. A few minutes’ rest, and she was again
on her feet, running from place to place, gathering up
her books, or her clothes, and holding on to them with
great tenacity, till she was too much encumbered to
continue it longer. From this state she awoke, about
two o’clock, A. M., and looked wholly bewildered and
surprised, on beholding several persons who had gath
ered around her to witness the scene.
The next night, she ran into the same state, about
the same hour. The notoriety of her case had attract
ed many persons, who were present and waiting. She
w as now more tractable and the anger and violence of
the previous attacks were less obvious. She recog
nized all her acquaintances, and seemed to attach her
self to her uncle and her aunt; and would not be
satisfied without the presence of one or the other. Her
state was one of great excitement. Nothing could
less resemble sleep, except that her eyes were closed.
She was as busy and bustling as could be conceived;
running from place to place, down the staircase, aiound
the house, or in any other direction according to the
wfiim of the moment. She refused to be controlled,
even by her uncle, whom she would not leave, except
for a moment at a time. But music and dancing were
Editors.
Penfield, Georgia, Thursday, January 18, 1849.
; her greatest delight; and a gool performer on the vio
j lin was induced to play for hen At the sound of the
instrument she sprung on the for and lost sight of
(every thing else. Her moyeiJfnts were now entire-jj
Ty changed; they were in a'Aigf|degree graceful and:!
jekgfcn*. . . T
| Her passion for dancing soo’/brought her mind to
I perfect harmony with all its co 1 Itnon rules. On hear- !
ing the violin she would hasten to her room to change
her clothes for her most elog: it attire. She would
return in great haste and deroa and a partner, in which
she was sometimes gratified. ( ascious that there was
respectable company present, Lte would preserve the
most perfect decorum, and and i.ee with great spirit,
longer than any one whocoul be induced to engage
with her. The ease and eleg tnce of her movements,
after two or three nights of pi idice, were a matter of 1
more astonishment to me, whet I learned that she had
never seen any onp dance ii her life. In this state
of excitement she wouM contii *e for five or six hours
when she would awake, and si pi afterwards fall into
a natural sleep for the rest” oYt;* night.
These scenes were repeat a/from night to night;
and for ten or twelve days h§4i9order became worse.
She wa evidently fatigued, nnd many times in the
day time fell asleep, and in ali’ew minutes passed into
sleep walking., The regular Wturn of her paroxjtems
became knowrf, and the hbusfe in which she resided
was thronged with visitors, wjo came to witness her
strange performances. At le%th it was apparent that
she was rendered worse by tpr-excitement.and she
was refused the music which s le had so much delight
ed in, and was placed as mucl as possible in a. retired
situation. By degrees her pai txysms became lighter,
and in about two months ceaied altogether. She is
now (November 30th, 1848,) ii good health, and seems
to have grown and improved is much as any child of
her age. Her complexion, < ;tions and appearance
denote the highest and most prfect health.
Rrobabljr.no ruse which njr been published, has
afforded the opportunities of investigation, which have
presented themselves in this case of Mary Rogers.—
The facts which it has established beyond controversy
are these:
1 1. While in the state of sleep walking, her eyes
Wqre firmly closed. On opening the eye lids with my
lingers, to which she always consented, her eyes were
found turned up toward the brow with fixed and im
movable force.
2. Her knowledge of persons was the same as when
Istxe” was awake, and she could hold conversation with
them, with all her intelligence. She could make new
(acquaintances, which she would know again in her
sleep walking state, but not when awake. JBut the ac
quaintances she made when awake, she would recog- j
nize when in her somnambulism. Her antipathies and
|her affections were fully preserved, and her depen
dence on her uncle and aunt for protection, seemed
always present to her mind.
3. Although her eyes were closed, and often ban
daged for the satisfaction of visitors, she had a power
of perception answering all the purposes of vision.—
This power was sometimes greater than at others, but 1
always present. She would walk securely through a
door, around a chair or hat set in her way, or down or
up stairs, or to any part of town, ana all this as safely j
in the darkness of night as in the day time. She would!
recognize h . acquaintances at a distance, and know
them as far -a the sharpest sighted person, and this
she could in the night when others could not —
She could discriminate colors as well as any one;
and what was more surprising, she could tell the
color of any tiling she touched. This was proved in
many instances. She appeared pleased to put her
hand behind her, tell the color of any thing placed in
it. A flower, or a piece of cloth, however variegated
or mixed, she would describe accurately. Gold and
silver jewelry, with their various stones or diamonds,
she would describe with great exactness, never, mis
taking gold for silver, or missing the color of the
stone or diamond. This she could do in the dark
as well as in the light. In several instances she read
printed characters by passing them through her fin
gers, but refused to try it afterwards. Being asked
how she could see, she pointed to her eye brows, the
pit of her stomach, and the balls of her thumbs, these, i
said she, are my eyes. On being requested to point,!
oat any person with whom she was acquainted, she.
THE TRUTH IN JLOVE.
JAMES T. BLAIN, Printer.
would turn her face towards them and if they were in a
crowd of persons, point to them with her fingers.—
Sometimes she would seem uncertain of having suc
'ceeded, and go to them to feel their clothing and faces
with her hands; when she would decide with perfect
’confidence, and uniform success, who it was. No
bandages over her eyes, seemed to form the least im
pediment to her success.
4. Her senses of taste, hearing, and smelling, were
unimpaired. She appeared to enjoy the flavor of a
nosegay, or the taste of an apple or peach, as well as
any unc, bar love of music and conversation proved
her hearing to be perfect. Her nppetit# for food was
at least as good, when in this state, as at any other
time, and she frequently ate her breakfast or supper
while sleep walking. Os these meals she had no knowl
edge, when she would afterwards awake.
5. No force or violence which could be safely used,
would arouse or a wake her. Tickling, pinching, smoth
ering, or throwing cold water on her, were ineffectual.
She would recognize all these attempts, and appeared
much amused by receiving a hand full of cold water on
her face. “Try that again,” was her common response.
Having tried many of these experiments, I at last dis
covered, that the passing of my hands along the course
, ol the spine, with or without touching her, produced a
powerful effect. At the first trial she sprang forward
and awoke in a moment. But it was near the lime at
which she was expected to awake. The next trial
was made in some resistance, I had her held; but al
though! did not touch her, she screamed aloud, broke
loose, and fled under a table in the greatest consterna
tion. She was by this time awake, demanding to know
how she was thrust under the table and by whom.—
The fear which this experiment produced was so
alarming that it was never repeated.
<>• For a few days of the time at which the parox
ysms of somnambulism were strongest and most fre
quent, she appeared fatigued and dejected; but even
ttlis soon passed oflj wd, there remained not the slight
est appearance of ill health or inconvenience oi any
kind. At the close of her disorder, Mary Rogers was
in as perfect health as could be desired.
7. The sensibility which was aroused by passing the
hand along the spine, continued during her waking
hours. She could feel the approach of my hands at
the distance of two or three feet, and whether asleep
or awake never failed to recoil from them with great
alarm. The same sensation was produced by stand
ing before her and directing my fingers towards the pit
of her stomach. At the same time, she wpuld with
great pleasure, take hold of my hands, lean on me, on
allow me to take her up in my arms, provided I avoided
bringing my hands in contact with the spine or epi
gastrium. This sensibility to the passing of the hands
along the spine, or approaching the epigastrium with
the fingers lias entirely passed off. On repeating the
experiments a few days ago, they produced no effect
whatever.
8. I was induced to try whether she was not a prop
er subject for the operation of animal magnetism.—
She gave her consent when awake, and I found that in
(bur or five minutes, she was in a sound ma’gnelic sleep.
I made no attempt at experiments with her while in
this state, and after about ten minutes removed the im
pression so that she awoke. She never again gave her
J consent to be placed in this state, and it has not been
attempted.
jj I have dwelt long enough on this remarkable case of
J somnambulism. But it is due to the reader that 1
should state the particulars in which it differs from, or
agrees, with other cases which have been reported.—
There is nothing new in sleep walking—cases of it
have been recorded, more than two thousand years
ago. And there is probably nothing new in any res
pect, in the case of Mary Rogers. But I know of no
case, the most unaccountable traits of which have been
so fully developed and undeniably attested; and some of
1 the facts have at least remained unnoticed. Other
somnambulists have performed in the dark all which
they could have done in the light; others have per
tormed works in painting and composition, which they
were unable to do in their waking hours; and others
have heard sounds, taken food and sought in solitude
their enjoyments; but it was reserved for Mary Rogers
i to play her part as a social being enjoying in this state,
I the society of others, extending her acquaintance,
’ choosing her pleasures, improving her manners and ac-
Number 3.