Mower County transcript., 1871-07-20
SOnlnNmibuliSts.

SONlNNHlDu
TIE sleep walkers who 60 from room to
room, a I'd are very busy in a sort of world
,l ,n,,r own, without actually composing
new music or writing new compositions,
are numerous The Morn1ng CAronicA, in
1899. g'lvc all account Of seaman who
sept t"ra night at an inn in York. Wish.
ing To bc called early next morning, and
knowing himself t." be heavy sleeper, he
directed the cllarntnrmAiu to come into his
'""'u and call him, if he did not hear her
knock ut the door Waking when the
Hun WIS high III the heavens, he felt GER
tam that Nc had slept far beyond the
proper Tune; but looking i"r his watch to
know the hour, he found that it WAS not
IN It's place unicr the pillow, where he had
placed it, Ile jumped out of bed to- dress,
but his clothes were gone; aud, looking
round, llc found himsclfin Il strange ruonl
llr rln4, the bell; the chalubermaid ap-
lrarr,l, anil then he found that he had, 1T
some curly hour in the morning, left his
lcI and wandered in SOmnambulstic
svrp into another room; for when the
rall came tn call him he was not in his
proper room. Wienhult relates the case ot
s'uItnt who, W hen in somnambulistic
state, WAS wont to leave his bed, 30 to the
l"'rl"r or I" his study, take out pen, ink
and paper, place m,l>ic in its proper posi-
mon on the piano forte, and play u whole
piece through with his eyes shut His
t'irnls once turned the music upside down
While he WAS playing. He somehow de-
trc,ed the rhaugr, and replaced tho paper
IN the proper position. On another occa-
sion his ear detected u note out Of tune :;
hr tunrd the stling, and went on again
On Il third occasion he wrote q letter to
his hrntnrr, rational and leyiblc to Ger
point but it WAS singular to observe that
l,' continued to write after the pen had
lost its ink, making all the proper move
mrnts without being conscious that he
rila,le nv marks on tho paper. A case is
on record of young lady who, when un-
d. + the influence "t IL particular nervous
complaint, would walk about the house in
Il state of sleep, or Coma, steering her way
slicly between the articles of furniture,
aud even avoiding objects purposely placed
- obst.urt her path. Her eyes were open,
hut she evidently did not see through them
in the ordinary sense; for she entirely dis
regarded strong lights held close to her
eyes, and cvcn'a finger that was actually
paced against tho cyeball. Physicians
'>e acquainted with many evidences Of
parsons who do see with tho eyes, but
I'h|c S'hHC uuCA pftiuCV hLutl vi VISkOu ia
certain morbid states OF the nervous sys-
t,ln.
Those snmnamhulists who wander about
in streets and roads, or Qike Amina, in
!;rllni's opcrn) walk along planks in
rtrilrus situations, have the muscular
- nsc, whatever it may be, effectively
awake. Doctor Carpenter notices, Mt
some length, 1.-THE slcep-walkers who
make their way over the roofs Of houses,
steadily traverse narrow planks, and even
chamber prccipic,s and this they do with
iLr less hesitation than they would do in
the waking state" The st nse of fear is
asleep, whatever else may be awake. Some
somnambuists start OFT while asleep to at.
tend To their regular work, though under
very irregular circumstances. Not very
many years ago working stone-mason in
Kent was one evening requested by his
master to go next morning to Il church
ward in the nciyhborhood and measure the
work which had been done to 1. wall, in
order that an account mig ght he sent III to
he church warucns. The man went to
bed ut the usual time; but when he awoke
he found himself fully dressed, in the
open air, and in the dark. Presently a
clock struck two, and he knew that he was
in the church yard AS he found that he
hand, he resolved to walk about till day.
break lit being summer weather), and as
certain what it was he had really done.
He then found that he had measured the
wall correctly, and had entered the par
tlculars in his book. Sometimes, instead
Of starting up from sleep to go to work,
persons VIII fall asleep while working or
walking. When Sir John Moore made
his famous retreat to Corunna whole bat
talions Of exhausted troops slumbered as
they marched Mulcteers have been
known to sleep while guiding their mules,
C"arhmcn while driving on the box, post
boys while trotting on their horses, and
factory children while at work. There
was u rope maker in Germany who often
fell asleep when at work, aud either con-
tlnucd his work in a proper way or use
les,ly rcmade cordage already finished.
Sometimes when walking long distances
he was similarly overtaken with sleep; he
vcnt on safely, avoiding horses and car
ages and timber lying on the road. On
lie occasion he fell asleep just as he
got on horseback; yet he went on, rode
Through Il shallow river, allowed his
y 'rSc To drink, drew up his legs to prevent
his feet from being wetted, passed through
crowded mark' t-place, and arrived safely
were clos, 4 the whole time, and he aWOke
just after reaching the house. Gassendi
describes case Of a man who used to rise
N the night dress himself while asleep,
draw wine from a caSk, and walk back
10 his room without stumbling over any
thing. In the morning like other sleep
walkers, he knew nothing of what had
happened. Ii he chanced to wake while
in the cellar, which once or twice occurred
ne cropped his way back in the dark with
'lort dlttirulty than when the sleep was
upon him. Another Italian, also men.
TONED by Gassendi passed on stills over q
swollen torrent in he night white asleep
then awnkc, and was too much afraid tC
Iccrnss Until dayligh, came.
An additional element of interest il
presented in those cases in which speaking
IS concerned, the somnambulist either
|kiny or hearing what is said to him by
others. Many writer's mention the in
stance Of a young naval officer who was
signal lieutenant to Lord Hood when the
british fleet was watching Toulon. He
sometimes remained on deck eighteen OF
twenty hours at a time, Watching for sig.
ual,, from the other ships; he would then
retire to his cabin, and fall into sleep SC
profound that No ordinary voice could
wake him; but if the word "signal" was
even whispered in his ear he was reused
Instantly. Dr. James Gregory cites the
case Of u young military officer, going will
his regiment in troop-ship to. foreign
.;ation in 1"55S, who, when asleep, was
peculiarly sensitive to the voices of his
lrmiliar ac4uaintances, and powerfully in
''enced by anything they said to him
some Of the other young officers, ready
for any pranks, would lead him on through
I'll the stages Of duel, or of am impending
ship wreck, or ola sanguinary battle each
sentence spoken by them turning his
"ream fif it may be called a dreamy into a
particular direction, until at length he
would start up in imaginary danger, and
perhaps awake by falling out of his berth
"r stumbling over rope.
Summer Showers.