The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-30
xPHYsIc1AN,s PROBLEMS.
somn mbu3 ism-Tho Phenomenon OF n
Double Life.

A London physician, In tho intervals of nc
tive professional life, has employed himself
with writing series of essays npon matters
that relate to the Drain, Nerve and Mind. The
opening paper treats Of those qualities In chill
dren which are derived as 'sNatural Herl-
tage" from their pr0gcnitors, which Ia followed
by m Inquiry into ;'Dogcnorations In Man."
From the chapter on Somnambusm VIC tnke
the following curious examples:
Two very Instructive cases arc quoted by
DR.. Prltclard FROM Muratori. Tho first relates
to young Italian noble, Signor Augustin,
who was accustomed to walk md perform
variety Of acts In his sleep. The attacks were
usually announced by q peculiar mnnncr OF
sleeping OH his back, with wide-open, staring,
unnoved eyes. Yigneul Marville, on eye wit
ness, gives the following account Of ono occa-
sion: "About midnight SignOT Augtstln drew
aside the bcdclothes with vIolence, arose and
put on his clothes. l went lip to him and put
the light under Ills eyes; he took no notice OF
II, although his eyes were open and staring"
Alter performing Il variety Of movements about
tho house, and seeking for many things, ap-
pcaring occasionally TO hear nOlses that
were made, and TO be frightened by them,
'he went Into tho stable, led ont his horse,
mounted 1t, and gnlluped 10 the house door, Mt
which he knocked several times. Having
taken back his horse he heard q noise Which
the servants made In the kitchen and went tn
tho door. holding Ills ear to tho key-hole, and
wards wont to tho billiard room, and enacted
the motions ofa player. lie then went to the
harpslchOrd and played few Irregular Girs.
"Aftor having moved about for two hours he
wont TO Ills room, and threw himself upon the
bed, clothed as lie was, and the next morning
we found him In the same state; for, as ofton
ASH as bis . attack cal came on he slept afterwards
ed that they could only put an end to hls par
oxysms either by tickling the soles of his feet
or 6J blowing trumpet In his ear"
author, and Is valuable MS having been sepa-
rately watched by two physicians, Rlghelilni
and Pagatti He was ~ servant and had walk
ed In his sleep from his eleventh year. lie
would often repeat In Ills sleep the accustomed
duties of tho day, and would carry trays and
glasses about and spread the tablo for dinner
With great accuracy, though his eyes were al
Way Ways firmly closed Indeed, II was apparent
against doors md objects placed In unaccus-
toned positions. He sometimes carried cam
dlci but bottle substituted for II seemed 10
do as well. His sense of tasto appeared to be
imperfect, ns he would eat cabbage for salad,
drink water for wine, and take cslfre for snuff
without appearing In any case to detect the
substitution.
In other cnscs the senses are moro awake,
and tho Intelligence more active. CastclIl,
whose case is related by FrancIsco Soavc, was
found ono night asleep In the net OF transla-
the words from dictionary. When Ills candle
was eXllngulShed he arose and went to seek
another light. When any one conycrsed with
him on any subject on which his mind was
bent at the time he gave rational answers; but
he seemed TO hear nothing that was said to
him or near him on other subjects. His eyes
also seemed to bc only sensible 10 those Oh
jeots about which he was Immediately en-
In reading lie turned the whole head from side
10 slide Instead Of the eyes.
One OF the most remarkable cases on record
Is related by tho Archbishop of Bordeaux In
the 'Encycl0peao MethodIque." It was con-
cerning young priest at the Catholic Semi
nary, who used to rise In his sleep and write
sermons, IInvlng written page he would
seen," says tho Archbishop, "tlie beginning OF
ono or Ills sermons which he had written when
asleep; 1t was well composed, but ono cOrrrc-
words "ee diuin enfant," he had afterwards
e1hced tho word dirin, md written over 1t
adorable. Then .pcrceiylng that ce could not
stand before the last word he had dcxtcrously
continued to wrltc, although q card was held
between his eyes and tho paper Did the his
tory stop here we should have q well-nuthcntl-
Gated caso OF vision without the aid Of the
show that this writing WAS accomplished
not by sight, but by most accurate men,
tal representation Of the object to be attained,
as will be filrther illustrated in o,r next case,
For amer he Ind wrltten pago requiring oor-
reotion, pioce of blank paper or tho exact
size was substituted for his own manuscript,
and oD that he made the corrections In the
precise situation which they would have occu-
part OF this report Is that which relates TO his
writing music In his sleeping state, which, Il Is
said, he did with perfect precision. He asked
for certain things, and saw and heard such
upon the subject OF his thoughts, lie detected
the deceit when water wNs given to him in
stead Of brandy, which he had asked for
Finally, he knew nothing Of nil that had trans
ysm he remembered oil accurately, and so
lived sort OF double life, n phenomenon which
we believe to ba universal In all the eases of
exalted somnambullsm"