The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-07-30
WALKING IN THEIR SLEEP.
SOME REMARKABLE FREAKS OF
soMH
A German who writes Poetry I'm Ills
Sleep-CuriOus Case OF an Italian
NObIemnu.

A story is told Of German student
somnambuist-who on one occasion
arose from his sleep and wrote some
verses on subject which he had vainly
wrestled with when awake.
care many such stories told of som.
nambulists ~ asked an Atlanta ConStitu-
ton man of a well-known physician.
"There are, a." was the reply. There is
q case on record of man at Milledge-
| Vile who used to arise in his sleep and
60 out on the roof of his house and walk
along where it would have been utterly
impossible for him to have stood had he
! been awake. / have heard of man who
was accustomed to go down the steep
side of a mountain to q creek, undress,
and go in and take bath. He would
then come out, dress and return home,
all the time being wholly unconscious of
what he was doing"
"What is somnambulism ?"
'T don't know. The somnambulist
seems to dream, and to have the power
to act that q sleeping man has not.
Some of them relate as dreams what they
do when they take these night walks.
! There is a story told of young ncbleman
in the city of Brenstein who was observed
| by his brother to rise in his sleep, put on
his cloak, and, having opened the case
ment, to mount by the help of pulley
to the roof of the building. There he
was seen to tear in pieces magpie's nest
and wrap the young birds in his cloak.
He returned to his apartment, having
placed his cloak by him with the birds
in it. In the morning he awoke and re-
lated the adventure as having occurred
in a dream, and was greatly surprised
when he was led to the roof of the tower
and shown the demolished nest, as well
as the magpies concealed in his cloak
"Do somnambulists always go with
their eyes open9"
"They usually do. ! have noticed
that actresses who play Lady Macbeth
all accept that idea. Did you never see
a woman in the sleep walking scene in
Lady MacbethP"
The reporter remarked that he had
been quite Mortified on more than one
occasion as a pair of CLASSY eyes stared
vacantly over the footlights.
"Those eyes in the real somnambulist
cannot see. They look, but they do not
see; they have ears, and hear not"
One of the most interesting cases is re-
ported by Muratori. Says he:
"Signor Augustin was an Italian noble
man, dark, thin, melancholy and cold
blooded, addicted to the study of the
abstract sciences. His attacks occurred
at the waning of the moon, and were
stronger in autumn and winter than in
summer. An eye witness gives the fol-
lowing description of them;
zone evening toward the end of Octo-
Der we played at various games after
dinner. Signor Augustin took part in
them along with the rest of the company,
and afterward retired to repose. At II
o'clock his servant told us that his mas
ter would walk that night, and that we
might come and watch him. examined
him after some time with a candle in my
hand. He was lying upon his back, and
sleeping with open staring, unmoved
eyes. We were told that this was
sure sign that be would walk
in his sleep. l felt his hands and
found them extremely cold, and his
pulse beat so slowly that his blood
seemed not to circulate. 1t was about
midnight when Signor Augustin drew
aside the bed curtains with violence,
arose, and put on his clothes. went up
to him and held the light under his eyes.
He took no notice of it, although his
eyes were wide open and staring. He
fastened on his sword and warmed him
himself in an armchair by the fire. He
went to his wardrobe, took out some
things, got others disarranged, put them
, in order again, locked the door, and put
, the key in his pocket. He then went
into court and caught and bridled his
Il rl,or L.
did not find the saddle in its accustomed
place, but finally mounted the horse and
rode to another side of the court and tied
! his horse. From there he went into the
| house and walked into a parlOr, where
] he played several airs on a harpsichord
I After moving about for two hours he
Q went to his room and threw himself or
2 his bed, where he slept nine or ten hours
t The servants declared that they could
( only put an end to his paroxysms by
e tickling him under the soles of mis- feet
: or by blowing trumpet in his ears"
S Negretti was a servant about twenty
| four years old. and a sleep walker from
his eleventh year, but his attacks only
| occurred in March. He would arise il
8 his sleep, arrange the table, stand bacl
of his masters chair long enough to give
q him time to eat, and then clear the cloth
He would then lock up the house and ar
g range for going to bed, and after doing
Z so would be awakened. lie could re
e member nothing of his somnambulisti
- actions. He would awaken when water wa
!. thrown in his face, and would be faint anC
I stupid for some time. He acted from
q force of habit, and if door through
s which he had passed was afterward shut h
T would run against it when he returned
s If he carried a candle and a bottle wa
h substituted he would not know the dill
d ference. 1t is said of Negretta that he sa
Il down to eat bowl of salad which h
s had prepared. 1t was taken from hin
] and some strongly seasoned cabbage pu
in its place; but he ate without perceiy
ing the difference. He shifted groun