Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-30
A DOCTORS STORY.
The Ability of Somnambulist to
Use His Eyes.

O-----~~----
Use His Eyes.
A Star writer was asking the physician
a great MANY questions and getting answers
to Them whffe the physician wasn't get
ting cent of pay for the part he was per-
by the way" inquired The Star man,
do you think that a somnambulistic can
see?" il
do you mean when he is awake or when
he is somnsambulizing. SO TO speak?" smiled
the physician.
while he is communicating, of course.
I'm not talking about blind men,"
well I won't answer your question di-
rectly, but I'll tell you story which may
go as ar answer. About ten years ago L
had as room mate young fellow VINO
bright young fellow he was, too. He was
fond of shooting. and to keep up his prac-
ice ne had Il fine air gun ana he con-
verted the hall on the third floor. which
used to take hand myself every time
had a chance and sometimes for an hour
at time he would be banging away at the
target he had fixed at the far end Of the
hall
One morning I came in from patients
about 3 O'Clock and found the whole upper
story dark 1 lit the gas in the front room,
Which We used as sitting room and was
hail, when the young fellow came walking
In from our sleeping room, attired in his
night clothes, and with his eyes Wide onen
l spoke to him. thinking something was the
matter with him, but ne did not answer,
and in a minute 1 saw that he was walk
ing in his Sleep
This was not altogether unusual with
MN him. but, but had never caught him in the
him. He came directly across the room,
going around a chair and table that
stood in his path, and opening drawer
where he kept the air gun, he took it out
and then he loaded it, getting the small
bullets we used out Of a box on the man
tlepiece. This box he stuck into what
would have been his coat pocket If he had
had coat on. but as he hadn't the box
fell to the floor, which he took no note of.
Then he went into the dark hall, care
fully avoiding all furniture in his way, and
going as straight to the door as if he had
been awake. I followed him cautiously
into the hall and when he had reached the
usual point from which we did our firing,
ne stepped, took careful aim and fired
Tho slight snap and shock of the gun
seemed to have quite a different effect
than either my voice or the bright light
in the room, for on the instant he dropped
the gun, made a half step forward and
fell into my arms, Just about as ne would
have fallen out of bed If he had walked
suddenly on ITS edge.
He was wide awake in minute and be-
gan laughing and asking me what had
happened. l told him. and We at once lit
the gas in the hall and examined the tar
get. The target had been reprinted after
We had had our last practice, so that we
could see plainly where his bullet had hit,
and l assure you he had made almost a
center shot. How. concluded the physi-
clan, 'in the lighted room. he missed all
the furniture in his way, and in the dark
hall, he hit the target. Do you think he
could see, or couldn't hep"
The answer wasn't quite satisfactory as
an answer. but it made a problem to
wrestle with and the physician kindly con-
scented to let his ouestioner figure it out
to suit himself.