The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-09-13


other man had caused me to dream!
Hardly prepared to admit or believe, !
proceeded to another cot, occupied by a
patient who had been ill Of bilious fever,
but who was now convslescent,a and whose
mind was clear. He was sleeping worry
quietly and evenly, as told by timing
his respirations.
In tones no louder than before, and
standing within six feet of his head, re-
peated the celebrated war speech of Pat
rick Henry, as learned it when a school
boy. After 1 had uttered fifteen or
twenty words the sleeper moved his head ;
ten words more, and his breathing was
very irregular; had not apOken above
two minutes when he gave sudden start
and awoke; and it was half minute be-
fore he could be convinced that his dream
was not real. He had dreamed of being
out on rapid, muddy river in skiff, and
of losing his oars, and being carried over
a dam. To finish with this experiment
or thecry,I may state that out Of twenty
one persons tested at ono time or another
l have found that nineteen of them
dreamed of water when one stood near
them and held conversation or repeated
verse or prose. 1t made no difference
whether they rested upon the back or
side, whether the head was low or high,
or whether the bed was strange or famil-
lar. In three instances the sleepers
were enjoying other dreams when COM
menced speaking, and these we're put to
flight. and dreams Of water substituted.
In each case also the dreams were of
troubled waters and perilous adventures.
1t cannot be claimed that there was any
influence in popularity of voice, for no
less than six of us were engaged in the
experiments; nor can it be argued that
the minds of our victims were rendered
nervous and susceptible by bodily sick
ness, for in twelve cases We tested people
who were in perfect health. have made
repeated tests outside of the hospital; and
while they were not perfectly satisfactory
as whole. they were still so successful as
to convince any candid mind that the
sound of human voice, and perhaps the
barking of dog, or the neighing OF
horse, will cause most sleepers to dream
Of adventure by water.
Within day or two after our first ex-
pertinent fell asleep in the forenoon,
and according to previous agreement, the
men made another trial. An ACCORDION
was brought in and one of them played
softly for three or four minutes, and then
struck out with lively tune. l was not
awakened, but there was a movement of
the head, a hand was lifted, and it was
not until the music ceased that my res
piration became regular again. dreamed
of standing near church in my native
village, a spot which had neither seen
nor dreamed of for fifteen years. The
church building and its surroundings APP
peared the same as when | last beheld
them. saw many people going into
the church, and recognized scores of
them, seeing among the rest dozen or
more who had been dead for several years.
1t was summer, and as I stood there
sounds of low, sad singing and soft music
floated out. When l awoke there were
tears 10 my eyes, and it was only by a
strong effort that l could shake off the
feeling of sadness which the dream had
left behind. Nearly every believer in
dreams believes that to dream of seeing
dead friends walking about in every day
garb is sure warning that death will in
wade the family, or that some accident is
to happen, and yet it was natural enough
that the sounds of music made me dream
of music, and called up tender memories.
Continued experiments went to show that
the minds of half dozen others were just
as susceptible. We tried the ACCORDION
while the ward-master slept, playing soft
and low again, and be awoke with tears
in his eyes. His parents had long been
dead, and he dreamed of seeing both, and
of his mother singing plaintive old bal
lad Singing had the same effect as the
notes of the ACCORDION on three patients,
but another was totally insensible to BOTH
though tried several times. Out of twelve
cases experimental on, seven dreamed of
dead friends; two of being in boundless
field, in the darkness, and hearing music !;
one did not dream at all, and two
dreamed of riding in funeral professions.
have since experimental on six per-
sons, and four dreamed of dead people,
one could not remember his dream, and
the other awoke at the first sound of mu-
sic. am therefore confident that sing
ing, music, the signing Of the wind, and
other natural sounds, if not too harsh, will
in most cases cause those dreams which
so worry the minds Of certain sleepers
after waking.
Having once read that dreams are but
flashes across the brain, was anxious to
confirm or disprove the theory. Taking
the patient whose mind had not been af-
fected 10y the music, we gave him no hint
and I'm ado M vuOva until he slopf Then