Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-01-20

QuInsy can be cured by holding IN the
mouth a green frog till it dies. The ami
NAL is said to absorb the poison from the
throat and swell up and die.
wonders Of SOmnambulism.
A PHYSICIANS PROBLEMS -CURIosITIEs
OF MEDICAL scIENcE-soME OF
2 THE MOST ASTONISHING CASES
ON RECORD.
A London physician, in the intervals
of active professional life, has employed
himself with writing series of essays
Nerve and Mind. The opening paper
treats of those qualities in children which
are derived as "Natural Heritage" from
their progenitors, which is followed by an
inquiry into Degenerations in Man"
From the chapter on Somnambulism We
take the following curious examples:
Two very instructive cases are quoted
by DR.. Pritohard from Muratori. The
first relates to a yonng Italian noble, Sig
| nor Augustin, who was accustomed to
walk and perform variety of acts in his
sleep. The attacks We're usually an
nounced by peculiar manner of sleep
ing on his back, with wide open, staring,
unmove2 eyes. Vigneul Marville, an
eye-witness, gives the following account
of one occasion: about midnight Sig
| nor Augustin drew aside the bed clothes
| with violence, arose and put on his clothes
went.up to him and held the light under
4 hfc boHt Htnaly ...tyaa of a1fhnnnI
bis eyes were open and staring At
ter performing a variety of movements
about the house, and seeking for
many things, appearing occasionally
to hear noises that were made, and to
to be frightened by them, he went into
the stable, led out his horse, mounted
it, and galioped to the house door, at
which he knocked several times. Having
taken back his horse he heard Noise
which the servants made in the kitchen
and went to the door, holding his ear to
the key.hole and appeared to be listening
attentiyely. He afterwards went to the
billiard room and enacted the motions of
player. He then went to the harpsi
chord and played a few irregular airs
After having moved about for two hours
he went to his room and threw himself
upon his bed, clothed as he was, and the
next morning we found him in the same
state, for as often as his attack came on
he slept afterwards from eight TO ten
hours. The servants declared that they
could only put an end to his paroxysms
either by tickling the soles of his feet or
blo wing a trumpet in his ears.
The case of Negretti is related by the
same author, and is valuable as having
been separately watched by two physi
clans, Righellini and Pigatti. He was
servant, and had walked in his sleep from
his eleventh ear. He would often re-
pea in lis ss@ss the accustomed duties of
the Gay, and would cariy Trays aud glasses
about, and spread the table for dinner
with great accuracy, though his eyes were
always firmly closed. Indeed, it was ap-
parent that he could not see, as he fire.
quently struck against doors and objects
placed in unaccustomed positions. He
sometimes carried candle; but a bottle
substituted for it seemed to do as well.
His sense of taste appeared to be imper-
feet, as he would eat cabbage for salad,
drink water for wine, and take coffee for
snuff, without appearing in any case to
detect the substitution.
In other cases the senses are more
awake, and the intelligence more active
Oastclli, whose case is related by Fran
cesco Soave, was found one night asleep
in the act of translating from Italian into
French, and looking out the words from
dictionary. When his~candle was extin-
guished he arose and went to seek another
light When any one conversed with
was bent at the time, he gave rational an
4 Al L
was said to him or near him on aaher sub
jects. His eyes also seemed to be only
sensible to those objects about which he
was Immediately engaged, and were quite |
fixed; so much so that in reading he
turned the whole head from side to side
instead of the eyes.
One of the most remarkable cases on
record is related by the Archbishop of Bor- |
deaux in the "Euoiclopedie Methodique."
1t was concerning young priest at the
Catholic seminary, who used to rise in his
sleep and write sermons Having writ
ten page he would read it aloud and
make corrections. II have seen," says the
Archbishop, "the beginning of one of his
sermons which he had written when
asleep; it was well composed, but one cor
rection surprised me. Having written at
first the words zee divin enfant,' he had
afterwards effaced the word dig(n and
written over it dcl0raJLe Then perceiving
that &C could not stand before the last
word he had dexterously inserted I, so
as to make the word Get. He continued
10 write, although card was held be-
5ween his eyes and the paper" Did the
history stop here we should have well
case of vision without the
lid of the eyes. But the collateral cir
show that this writing was
accomplished, not by sight bnt by most
accurate mental representation of the OBJ
ect to be attained, as will be further il /
ustrated in our next case. For after he [
lad written page requiring correction,
piece of blank paper of the exact size
was substituted for his own manuscript
md on that he made the corrections in
he precise situation which they would {
lave occupied on the original page. A /
'ery astonishing part of this report is ,
hat which relates to his writing music
n his sleeping state, which it is said he
lid with perfect precision. He asked for
ertain things and saw and heard such {
hings, but only such things as bore di- {
ectly upon the subject of his thoughts.
lie detected the deceit when water was
.iven to him instead of brandy, which he
lad asked for. Finally, he knew nothing I
f all which had transpired when he G
woke but in his next paroxysm he re- c
nembered all accurately, and go lived a
ort of double life, phenomenon which
We believe to be universal in all the cases
f exalted somnambulism. I
A "HoG" OHERATION.-A shrewd but
attempt to swindle a hog
ealer was made in Philadelphia the
ther day. A chap, watching his oppor-
unity, let down a portion of the fence
Thich enclosed one of the pens, Just at s
usk, and driving the liberated hogs to {
heir owners Office near by, offered them
Or sale, as part of a drove just arrived,
nd the disposal of which, owing to press
ng engagements must be done inn c
The owner, however, observ- /