The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1851-07-11
From Dickens "Household Words"
SOMNAHEBULISNI.

From Dickens "Household Words"
SONINANEBULISN.
THAT person deeply immersed in
thought, should, like Dominic Sampson
walk along in state of "prodigious" un
consciousness, excites no surprise, from
the frequency Of the occurrence; but thai
any one should, when fast asleep, &c
through series of complicated actions
which seem to demand the assistance oI
The senses while closed against ordinary
external expressions is, indeed marvel.
lous. Less 10 account for this mysteri-
GUS state ofbeing, than TO arrange such a
series Of facts as may help further inquiry
into the subject, we have assembled sew
eral curious circumstances regarding
somnambulism.
Not many years ago case occurred
At the Police Office at Southwark, of q
woman who was charged with robbing q
man while no was walking in his sleep
during the day time along High street, in
the Borough, when it was proved in evil
dence that he was in the habit of walking
in his somnambulic fits through crowded
thoroughfares. He was plasterer by
trade, and it was stated in court that il
was not an uncommon thing for him 70
fall asleep while at work on the scafold,
yet he never met with any accident, and
would answer questions put TO him as if
ho were awake. In like manner, we are
informed that DR. .Hayco OK, the Professor
of Medicine at Oxford, would, in fit of
somnam5ulisn, preach an eloquent dis.
course; and some of the sermons of lady
who was in the habit Of preaching in her
sleep have been deemed worthy of pub
iicaiion.
We remember meeting with the case
Of an Italian servant, who was SON.
nambulist, and who enjoyed the charac.
Ter Of being better waiter when he was
asleep than when he was awake. Every
book on the subject repeats the anecdote
which has been recorded of the blind
poet, DR.. Blackjack, who, on occasion,
rose from his bed, TO which he had re-
tired at an early hour, came into the room
where his family were assembled, con.
versed with them, afterwards entertained
them with pleasant song, and then re-
tired 10 his bed; and when he awoke had
not the least recollection Of what he had
done. Here, however, on the very thresh-
old Of the mystery, we meet with this
difficulty-were these persons when they
performed the actions described, partially
awake, or were they really In state Of
profound sleep? In solving this problem
we shall proceed 10 consider some of the
phenomena Of somnambulism, promising
only that il we avail ourselves of cases
which the reader may before have met
with, it is TO throw light on what we may,
perhaps, call the physiology of this very
curious affection.
There can be no doubt that somnam-
bulism is hereditary. Horstius mentions
three brothors, who were affected with it
At the same period-Dr Willis knew a
whole family subject TO it. 1t is con.
sidered by all medical men as a peculiar
form Of disease. II seldom manifests
itself before the age of six, and scarcely
ever continues beyond the sixtieth year.
1t depends physically upon the susceptible
lity or delicacy ofthe nervous system, and
on this account females are more liable 10
Il than males; and in youth it manifests
itself more frequently than in mature age.
II is caused mentally by any violent and
profound emotion; as well as by excessive
study, and over.fatiguing the intellectual
faculties. Some persons walk periodic
ally in their sleep; the fit returns at sta
ted intervals--perhaps two or three times
only in The mouth. II has been also OBJ
scryed-although we by no means vouch
for the iact-by an eminent German
physician, that some persons walk at the
full, others a. the new moon, but espec-
ally at its changes. One German au.
ihoriiy,--.Burdach, goes the comical
length Of asserting that the propensity Of
somnambulists 10 walk on the roofs of
houses is owing 10 the attraction Of the
moon, and that they have peculiar
pleasure in contemplating the moon, even
in the day time. Whatever may be the
cause ofthe affection, somnambulism un-
doubtedly assumes different degrees of
intensity. The first degree evinces it.
self by the movements we have referred
TO, andby sleep-talking. This stage it is
said 10 be marked by an imposibility of
Spening the eyes, which are as if glued
together. There are many curious cir
cumstances TO be observed concerning
sleep-talking. The intonation Of the
voice differs from The vskiDg state. apd