Litchfield enquirer., 1833-05-30
From Froser's Magaxine.


ing sleep. There are many persons who
talk much and fluently in their sleep. but
who speak only in reference to their own
thoughts, and are quite insensibls to any
conversation that is either held in their
presence or Immediately addressed to
them. There are others, on the contrary,
VINO answer distinctly every question that
IS addressed to them; who reveal their
secrets; and who describe, in the clearest
manner, the events about which they are
dreaming. In these cases the sense of
hearing is awake, while the other senses
are asleep.
One Of tho most remarkable cases of
speaking during sleep is that of an Ameri-
can lady, now 1--WE believe) alive. who
preached during her sleep, performing reg
ularly every part Of the Presbyterian SER
vice, from the psalm to the blessing. This
lady was the daughter of respectable, and
even wealthy parents; she fell into bad
health, and under this influence she dis
turbed and annoyed her family by her noe
turnal eloquence. Her unhappy parents,
though surprised, and perhaps flattered by
the exhibition in their family of SO extra
ordinary Il gift, were at last convinced that
it was the result of disease and in the ex-
pectation that their daughter might derive
benefit from change of scene, as we'll as
from medical skill, they made a tour with
her of some length, and visited New York
and some ofthe other great cities Of the
Union. We know individuals who have
heard her preach during the night in steam
boats and it was customary at tea-parties
in New York, in the houses Of medical
practitioners, to put the lady to bed in
room adjacent to the drawing-roOm, in Or
der that the dilettant might witness so ex-
traordinary a phenomenon. We have
been told by ear-witnesses, that her SER
mons, though they had the appearance as
a connected discourse, consisted chiefly of
texts of Scripture strung together. 1t is
strongly impressed upon our memory. that
some of her sermons were published in A.
merica.
A higher degree of somnsmbulism, and
that from which the name is derived, con-
sists in walking during sleep, Of performing
several actions OF an ordinary kind, such as
those of dressing, opening doors and win
dows, unlocking drawers, sitting down to
write letters, &c. When the somnambu-
list is suddenly awakened in this state, u
high degree Of alarm is generally the result
of sudden restoration of consciousness
and cases are said to have occurred III
which state Of permanent insanity wa:
induced by the distraction arising from sc
abrupt and violent transition.
There are numerous examples of per-
sons rising from their beds, and carrying
on in their sleep their usual professiona
occupations. Students, for instance, otter
rise and perform during sleep the task.
which they have left incomplete. Matmel
mentions an individual, who rose from bed
and carried OF his trade as saddler; and
DR.. Pritchard has recorded still more re-
markable one, where farmer rose from
his sleep, and having dressed himself, sad
died his horse, and rode to market place
which he had been accustomed to frequent.
One of the most unaccountable circum-
stances, however, in somnambulism, is the
superior skill and accuracy with which GER
tain somnambulists carry on their proceed
ings-evincing the possession of powers
when asleep which they are unable to call
forth in their waking hours. The history
of the shirtless somnambulist affords a
striking example of this. This individual
had tho modification of discovering every
morning where he awoke, that the shirt in
which he had slept was gone. Some trick
was supposed to have been played upon
him by an inmate of the house and think
ing that the practical joke would soon be
abandoned, he went on. day after day. till
his stock of linen was completely exhaust
ed. The individuals of the family were
now anxiously examined. but no tidings Of
the stray linen could be obtained. 1t was
at last suspected that some depredatOS had
entered the house, and unswathed his sleep
ing victim: and strict watch was made
on the following night. Al q suitable hour
the somnambulist was seen 10 quit his bed
to pass through sky light window TO the
roof of the house, and enter by anotheI
window, a garrett that was locked, and to
return shirtless to his lair. The garnet wal
examined, and the thousand and-one shirts
were found carefully wrapped up, and de.
posted in pyramid. The actions Of the
sumnambulist were not, in this case, tht
subject of dream otherwise it is no
probable that it would have been forgot il
the morning.
The case ofthe nobleman mentioned b,
Hortius, who lived in the city Of Breslau