Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1861-01-08

Dreams sometimes consist of trains Of images
brought up by association with bodily sensations.
Examples OF this kind are very numerous. The
father of the late DR.. James Gregory relates of
himself that having on Que occasion gone to bed
with vessel Of hot-water at his feet, he dreant
of walking up the crater of Mount EIna, and Of
feeling the ground warm under his steps,
He had, ut on early period of his life,
visited Mount Vesuvius, and actually felt
strong sensation of warmth in his feet when
walking up the sides of the crater; but it
was remarkable that the dream was not OF
Vesuvius, but of Etna, of which he knew moth
ing save what he had recently learned from read
ing BOurbons description. This circumstance,
DR.. Abercrombie thinks, was owing to the lat
ter impression having been the morerecent. On
another occasion the same gentleman dreamt Of
spending winter at Hudson's Bay, and OF suf-
fering much distress from the intense frost.
This dream no attributes to his having thrown
off the bed. clothes in his sleep, coupled with the
fact that few days before he had been reading
a very particular account of the state of the
colonies in that county during winter Again,
when suffering from toothache, he dreamt Of
undergoing the operation oftoothdrawung, with
the additional circumstance, that the operator
drew a sound tooth, leaving the aching one in
its place.
There have been some cas0s in which, as re-
CARDS particular individuals, dreams have been
produced by whispering into their ears while
they were asleep. One of the most curious, as
well as authentic examples of this kind, have
been mentioned by several writer's, and is thus
referred to by Dir. Abercrcmbe 1.-The par
ticulars, says he, "were related to Dir Greg
DRY, by gentleman who witnessed them. The
subject of experiment was an officer in tile ex-
petition to Louisburg in 1858, who had this
peculiArity in so remarkable degree, that his
companions in the transport were in the constant
habit of amusing themselves Mt his expense.
They could produce in him any kind of dream
by whispering into his ear, especially ii this
was done by friend with whose voice he was
familiar. At one time they conducted him
through the whole progress of quarrel, which
ended in a duel and when the parties were
supposed to be met, pistol was put in his hand,
which he fired, and was awakened by the report.
On another occasion they found him asleep on
the top Of locker or bunker in the cabin, when
they made him believe he bad fallen overheard
and exhOrted him to save himself by swimming.
lie Immediately initiated all the motions of Il
swimmer Then they told him that n shark was
pursuing him, and entreated him to dive for his
life lie instantly did SO, with such force us tc
throw himself entirely from the locker upon the
cabin.1OoT, by which be was much bruised, and
of course awakened After the landing of the
HTtny NJ lOulHuulBi Hlo iuuHu HllH hlt
day asleep in his hut, and eyi lently much an
uoyed by the cannonadiug. They then made him
believe that he was engaged, when he expressed
great fear, and showed I'm evident disposition tC
run away Against this they demonstrated, hui
ut the same time increased his fears by imitat-
ing the groans of the wounded and the dying
and when he asked las he often did who wa.
down, they named his particular friends. Al
last they told him that the man next himself il
the line had fallen, when he instantly sprung
from his bed rushed out of the tent, and was
reused from his danger and his dream togethei
by falling over the tent-Iopes A remarkable
circumstance in this case was, that after these
experiments he had no distinct recollection oil
his dreams, but only confused feeling of OPP
preston or fatigue, and used to tell bis friend.
that he was sure they had been playing som'
trick upon him. A case entirely similar is re
lated in Sneliies Natural History the subject Of
which was a medical student at the University o
dinburgh.-Sharp's Mdgdsine.