New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-02-04


Her attendants were strictly enioined
not to stir. She raised herself, as usual,
in the sitting posture, then stood up
right and commenced to walk. The
second step was trip, for the foot be-
hind held the bottom of the bag in
which she stood. She stumbled. fell
forward and awoke, and was put back
into bed, where she soon fell asleep.
Next morning there were no bad conse-
quences, except that her face was
slightly bruised by the fall. l recon-
mended continuance of the sleeping.
chemise for q short time as q caution
ary measure. And now came curious
change in the phases of the affection
She would still rise from bed each
night, but made no further attempt to
walk, as before. She would stand
erect, and, keeping the knees perfectly
rigid, spring straight upward from the
floor, and thus dance about the room in
what was years afterward known 40 q
popular music-hall dance under the
name of the Perfect Cure" This she
would continue until thoroughly ia
tigued, and then retire quietly to bed
and to sleep. am glad to add the case
did end in perfect cure.
This strange state IL generally cAleo
somnambulism. It is really alternating
identity, in which the ordinary state Of
mind il suspended, and another
IDENTIFY do not know what else to
call it-takes possession of the individ-
ual, and like warp and welt alternates
without mixing, the warp presenting
continuity at one time, and the welt
the same at another. Ono of these
alterations occurs most often in sleep,
when the ordinary mental power is no
longer governing, and hence the attack
is called somnambulism. The somnam-
bulist will weave the somnambulism of
one night with that of the preceding
into . continuous warp or welt, and SO
with the ordinary mental power; and
thus the two Identities alternate but do
not mix.
A young lady under my observation
exhibited an instance of this. For some
time . somnamhulist the alternating
identity at length became strong
enough to intrude upon her waking
hours. Her ordinary perceptive and
voluntary powers would be suddenly
arrested during the day, and whether
at music or wOrk-no matter how en-
ployed-the interruption was sudden
and instantaneous. If at the piano or
harp, voluntary movement ceased at
the moment; if walking across the floor,
she remained in the position in which
she was when it occurred, and remained
thus for longer or shorter time. She
would sit at dinner apparently as
cheerful and as collected as any one at
the table. At the time of which !
speak it was customary for guests t.
take wine with one another. A gentleman
would ask her to take wine. She bowed
her head as usual; and in raising the
glass to her mouth there suddenly
passed over her face and figure slight
but indcscribable shudder. She i'm
mediately lost all knowledge of those
about her, and would address them
with names quite foreign to them. This
state would continue for two days, until
at dinner on the third day she would
turn to her relative, and say, in her
natural tone, ''Did you not ask me to
take wine?" :Ier natural state then
returned; but these alterations became
more frequent and more painful, until
at length the unfortunate girl was
deprived of the society Of all but her
nearest relatives.-Harper''s Weekly.