Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-04

The Pheuoueno Of Sonsna0 bulism.
SOME NrxREs11No FACTS REGARDING CURIOUS SUB
JKcT.
From the St Louis Globe. Democrat
Judging nom the large areas OF brain tissue
given up to the generation OF impulses which re-
suit in voluntary movements, It Is rather surpris-
ing that these centers should not be more often
the scene OF activity while the rest of the great
organ OF mind is Quiescent The normal duty OF
these sections being TO instigate voluntary muscu-
lar movements, when they act abnormally, as
they do when partially awakened, the rest OF the
brain remaining IN sleep, the result Is TO set in
tion muscles. or large groups OF muscles. When
various and complicated movements, such as
walking, climbing, riding, &C., are produced
What form the movements OF the somnambulist
may take Is governed to great degree by impress
sions received by the subject, but to a greater
has been awakened by Whatever set the centers
Tor movements In operation. Seep-walkers differ
markedly among themselves as TO the effect upon
them OF these Two sets OF conditions Some can be
Influenced 10 any desired direction by suggestions
conveyed by words, movements, or sensations
communicated 10y Impressions made upon the
sense OF touch. Others disregard such impress
Si0nS-the avenues OF which seem to be closed
and are governed exclusively by some fixed idea.
localities has much 70 do with the remark BILE
feats they are known TO have performed. In a
strange locality the walking on the rdge-pole Of
house or along the brink OF precipice Is not, by
any means, as safe as some have believed. The
occurrence, within the past year, Of several fatal
accidents 70 such sleepers proves that they have
no magical power OF finding safety where others
encounter danger. This idea OF the marvellous
safety OF sleep-walkers must be abandoned II this
Is thoroughly understood IL is likely that better
care VIII De taken TO guard the safety OF those
known 10 De subjects OF what must be considered
q disease.
Although the actions OF the sleep-walker seem
10 DC 10 some degree at least under the control Of
the WILL IL Is very apparent from the foregoing
considerations that they are TO be considered as
the Will Is without power TO control even the imag
mary acls OF the dreamer. In soInnambulism
tnere are real muscular actions added 10 the 0rdl
nary dream. Hence IL Is that theftS or other I'M
lawful acts may result from the abnormal condi-
tlon, ana the sleep-waker should not be held NOR
any or erlmlnally responsible for such occur
FENCES. NO ole should be held reSponS ole for an
act OF the Imagination, a homicide dreamed to have
been perpetrated for example The real action OF
the somnambuliSt Is OF the same NATURE so far as
responsibility Is concerned, as the peculiar freaks
OF the Imagination which take place In an ordinary
dream. This question has sometimes come before
the courts and wherever IL has been clearly proven
that the condition Of somnambulism was present
when the unlawful act was committed, the pris-
oner mas been acquitted 1t is possible, OF course
Tor this, like any abnormal condition, to be sim
ulateo, out such instances must be extremely rare.
Some authors, especially those OF an early date,
have evidently claSsed together as cases OF SON.
nambulisin a number Of distinctly different con-
ditlons. Some instances OF masked epilepsy, for
instance, have be- u thus Improperly classified.
The SO-called double consciousness" Is OF this
variety. This consists IN the individual recol-
lecting, during the paroxysm, circumstances
which occurred in former attack, though there
was no remembrance OF them during the inter-
val.' A number OF such cases have been placed
on record, and their close relationship to epilepsy
Is now beyond question. In true soInnambulism
there Is no recollection OF what has taken place
during an attack either In the walking condition
or In subsequent attacks.
The S0nnambul1St may remember the dream Of
which the sleep-walking was one incident. The
following, from Brillat de Savarin'S physiology
OF Taste" Is an example; It was related BY the
prior OF a convent the witness 10 the occurrence:
Late one evening the somnambuliSr entered the
priors chamber; his eyes were open but fixed; the
light OF TWO lamps made no impression upon him;
his features were contracted and he carried q
Large knife In MS hand. Going straight to the bed
he appeared fyst TO examine If the prior was there
linen ne struck three blows which pierced the bed
coverings, and even mat which served as a
mattress. His countenance expressed satisfaction
as he returned to his room, and had lost its fixed
look The next d ~ the prior asked the somnam-
bulist OF what he had dreamed the previous night
The latter answered that ne had dreamed that his
mother had been Killed by the prior, and her ghost
had appeared to him demanding vengeance; that
at the sight OF this he became SO carried away by
rage that he had Immediately ran TO stab his
mothers assassin; that shortly after he awoke
palhed In sweat ami much pleased To find 1t only
q dream. The learned author adds that in case
ncae had taken place as The
murder would have been, SO far as he was con-
cerned, an1nyoluntary act.'
Sir William Hamilton, with many authors, claims
that Ia somnanbulism there IS often to be OBJ
served a manifestation OF mental faculties or a
higher order than those shown by the patient
under ordinary conditions. This is probably true
for the portions OF the brain which in full ac-
ton while the most OF that organ is In slumber
undoubtedly are capable OF a higher degree Ol
activity than when al parts are alike awake.
In the so-called '1neSIneric Sleep" or hypnotism
the condition Of the brain doubtless very similar
10 that which Is present In natural somnambulism.
The Intellectual departments seem, however, to be
Ia condition more hearty approaching that pres
ent when the Whole brain Is awake. IL is most
likely that there Is kind OF disturbance In the
amount OF blood sent TO different parts Of the Or
GA n n mi nd