The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1851-07-18

tuted, ne took II and carried II, fancyin
that Il was candle. Castelli, anolhe
somnambullst, was found by DR.. Soane
translating Italian ;ho French, and look
! ing out the words in his dictionary. Hi
candle being purposely ex,ipguished, h,
began groping about, as ifin the dark ,ant
| although other candles were in the room
/ he did not resume his occupation until h,
| had rebghted his candle a, the fire. In thil
lease we may observe that he could no
see. excepting with the candle be. hae
| himself lighted, and he was insensible L
eyery other, excepting that on which hi
attention was fixed. IA .,l..s,
I How are these curious anomilies to be
| explained There is, i, appears 10 us, .
striking analogy between the actions q.
| theyaro performed by the blind and those
executed by somnambulisis, who are in
sensible 10 light the exaltation Of the
sense Of touch, in blindnes, is so grea,
that some psychologists have conceived
the existence Of SIXTH sense-ihe
muscular sense--which communicates
the Impressions before the actual contact
Iof objects. The muscular sense is sup
posed by DR.. Fowler, to adjust the voice.
and the year, TO the distances at which
sounds are TO he heard, and objects seen.
y may, perhaps, be described as pecu-
liar exaltation ofthe sense OF feeling. A
lady during her somnambulism, observed
70 Despine, her physician, "You think
that do not know what is passing around
me; but you are mistaken. l see moth
ing; but FEEL somthing that makes an
Impression on me, which cannot ex-
plain" Another somnambnlist, patient
Of Hafeland, used 10 say invariably, 81
feel"-W am conscious'' Of this or Of
that object. The blind girl, Jane Sulli-
van, described by DR.. Fowler, could, with
out a guide, feel her way 10. every part
ofthe workAouse, and recognize all its
inmates BY the feel Of their hands and
clothes II is said Of Laura Bridgman,
that she could, in walking through pas
sage, with her hands before her, recog-
nze her companions, and could in this
way distinguish even their different de-
grees OF intellect; nay, that she would re-
gard wIthcontelnpt newcomer, after
discovering her weakness of mind. II
mas been discovered, that the pupils in
me Manchester Asylum for the blind are
aware, by this muscular sense, of their
approach, even 10 a lamp-post, before ac-
tually coming against or up to il. May
NOT the somnambulist walking through in
trIcate Passages and performing compli-.
Gated manual operations in the dark have
his movements guided by this sense?
May lie not, in like manner, be sensible
q his approach to obstacles, and may not
this sense, in higher degree of develop
ment, lead to perceptions, which are or
dinarily conveyed to the mind through
theif appropriate and respective organs.
The sense of hearing in somnambulsm
is not often suspended, for generally
speaking, somnambulists will. answer
questions and carry on conversation; but
II is remarkable thai The same ear which
may be deafto the loudest noises, will
perceive even q whisper from one par.
ticular person with whom the sleeper may
alone appear TO. hold communion. In
the "Transactions Of the Medical Soci-,
ety"a Breslau, we met with the case of
somnambulist who did not hear even the
report pistol fired close 10 him. In
another instance, that Of Signor Austin,
an halian nobleman, his servants could
not arouse him from his sleep BY any
description Of noise--even blowing a
trumpet in his ear. On the other hand,
the same individual would, in another
par oxysm, apply his ear 10 the keyhole
Of the door, and listen attentively 10 the
noises which he heard in the Kitchen
The sense ofsmell. as we have observed,
is frequently sltered. Birthstone and phos.
phorus are said TO have pleasant scent TO
the somnambulist, but sometimes ii ap-
pears completely abolished Ia one case
q snuff box filled with coffee, was given
toa somnambulist, who took il as he
would have taken snuff, without perceiy-
ing the difference. So also il is with
'tastea Some somnambulists have not
been able TO distinguish wine from
water. @s as;5k n VI. stei5s s9i63 a4l'
Another very remarkable circumstance
has been observed in somnambulism II is
that persons in this state have exhibited
an extraordinary eYaliation nc knowlo.Js,al