The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-09
ABNORMAL NrRvoUs CONDITIONS.
some interesting ExPcr'meut. Made By Dy.
Chnrcot Ia Parts.


For Some years past Dr. Charcpt. nm emil
ncut modi.ul pr ,fcsSor has b"'n giving. Ut tho
ASYLUM Of In UTrir Gro Plris. cNtru official
.titgsrs Of clinical l.0turrs on th, nervous NAL
ndica with Watch his work il 80 largely con-
rnrncd. Th"sj weekly lectures have been
highly popular. AMI sug"ial interest has been
'Nrited thus year. ms the Professor has taken zip
,turAtions conuNtcd with eomnamhuisn ind
animal magnet SIN. n class ~ phenomena which
ehnra,nus hitherto. and the truth about which
has boon largely mixed with error and absur-
dty. Reporting the Professors experiments to
In Nature, DR.. CurtnH cODAidcrs he Inns EiNen
positive demonstration that sOmunmbulistn,
cltgl"psy, g.. are among the numerous forms
Dir. Oharcot shoycd that certain hysteric per-
sons could be- easily thrown. under certain con-
diuons; into such states. Thus 9patient y
placed before an Intense Light. ". The electric
and requested 81 look at IT,. In u few seconds
or minutes she becomes motionless in n state Of
cntalcpsy. The eyes are liked. the limits are
supple and will keep any position given them.
Ia this state the physiosnpmy seems to reflect
to some eNt@nt me IMPRESSIONS o. w geSurgs;
Il the limbs b. put in threatening attitude. tho
face darkens; II the fingers be joined on tho
lips rs If TO wave n kiss, tho face becomes smil-
ing and open but beyond such notifications
from attitude tho patient remains impaseiye.
fixed. and insensiblo to the outer world. II tho
luminous beam 6e now o lnierrI ,b wn
suddenly gives place to q state Of lethargy OF
somnambulism. The patient falls on her back
laccompanied by slight hccupl, the EYES con-
vulsed. with all the symptoms OF the beginning
OF hysterO-epl"pticn attack. $50
On being GATED loudly. she will rise and como
to the person calling. will perform nj request
various combined movements. as writing. sew
ing. DC, and sometimes answer questions. all
the time being in complete nuwsthesia. Othor
agencies besides light will bring on those crises
"a. O.. they may be produced by sound; and to
illustrate this DIR. Charcot procured gigantic
tuning fork, giving a very deep note. and
sounded II when one OF the patients was sentod
on tho resonance case: she soon fell into ulta-
lepsy The somuambulist state Is easily DISH
pated-e. o.. by blowing in the face. Ono nOta-
bile experiment OF DIR. Charcot proved that tho
two states. cRtinepsy and lethargy. could exist
simultaneously in one person.
The patient being put into the former state IN
made lethnrgic on one side by closing the eye
Of that side or shutting Oft tho luminous ray
from with screen this side isay the lcitl has
then no longer the property which the right has
Of maintaining any given attitude In the limbs.
peculiar muscular hypereXcltabilty las Dr.
Chnrcot further showsl appears with tho
ethnrgy. BY gently pressing or rubbing a
muscle IL can bc made TO contract Immediately
and on pressing the trunk Of a nerve. the mus
~ to which IL rHsscs will contract. H. this way
may be produ ed those various facial changes
which DR.. Duchsnne of Boulogne has obtained
with electricity. The nature OF the nervous
disorders ia qu 'stion IL far from being AIDE
uuntely known as vet. and DIR. Charcot does not
| offer any scientific explanations II is iinpor-
| tHnt that exact observations should be accumu-
lated and tho precise conditions of the phe.
nomcna their notifications under such and
| such causes TO. fully determined.