Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-08-11
NUMBER 6
Son,nambulI>m.

Rev. DR.. Buckley in the July
Century contributes an article I'M.
der the title of "Dreams, Night
mare and Somnambulism," from
Which we quote the following:
Somnambulism, in it's simp'es.
form, is seen when persons talk in
their sleep. They are plainly asleep
and dreaming; yet the connection.
ordinarily broken, between tie
physical organs and the images
passing through the mind is re
tanned or resumed, IN whole or in
part. II is very common for child
rem to talk more Or less in their
sleep; also many persons who dD
not usually do so are liable to NUT.
ter if they have overeaten, or are
feveriSll or otherwise i'll. Slight
movements are very frequent. Ma
NY who do not fancy thatthey have
ever exhibited the germs of SOM
nam5ulism groan, Cry ont, whisper,
move the hand, or foot. or head,
plainly in connection with ideas
passing. through the mind. From
these incipient iHaaHif iiffestta ttii0ls Of
/! Enai ll ;!nee sonnamb ulismreacIf.
les frightfnl iltenst6 81 s an; and almost
inconceivabIe Fcoihp licatiiioyis:
Somnambulists i'm this country
have recently perpetrated mur.
derS, have even killed their own
children; they have carried furni-
lure out of houses, wound up cIocks,
ignited CONGREGATIONS. A carpen-
Ter not long siuce arose IN thenigilt,
went into his shop, and began to
file a saw; but the noise or the OPP
Grafton awoke him. The extra0r
binary feals of Somnambulists in
i'll ascending TO the roofs of houses,
treadlng dangerous places, and
dalng many other things which
they could not have done while
awake have often been described,
and IN many cases made sIie sub
ject Of close investigation. For
merry it was belived by many that
it they were not awakened they
would in process of time return to
their beds. and that there would
not he any danger Of scrions acct.
dent happening to them. This has
long been proved false. Many have
fallen out of windows and been
killed; and though some have skirt.
Ell the brink of danger safely, the
number of accidents to sleeping
persons is great.
Essays have been written by
somnambulIsts. A young lady,
troubled and anxious about a prize
for which she was to compete. in
volviug the writing OF an essay,
arose from her bed in sleep and
wrote a paper upona subject which
SHE had not intended to write when
awake; and this essay secured for
her the prize. The same person,
later in life, while asleep selected
Al obnoxious paper from among
several documents, put 1t in cup,
and set fire to it. She was entirely
unaware OF the transaction in the
morning.
intellectual work has sometimes
been done in ordinary dreams not
attended by sonIuambulism. The
composition of tile "kubla Khan"
bJ Coleridge while asleep and Of
the Devils Sonata," bS Tartini,
are paralleled in a small way fire.
quently. Public speakers often
dream out discourseS; and there il
Il clergyman now residing III the
western part Of New York State
who many years ago dreamed that
he preached IL powerful sermon up
Oil Il certain topic, and delivered
tia, Identical discourse the follow
iDg Sunday with great effect. But
such compositions are not somnam.
bullstlc unless accompanied by
Sone outward action at tile time.