The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-06
From Tit Bits.

WYE are all more or less familiar,
M said we'll known brain special
w, ist, with the ordinary cases OF
as humanity itself. But the startling
forms it has taken in recent years are
as little known to the public at large as
they are mysterious and uncanny, even
to men like myself whose business it is
to study the vagaries of the brain.
These new and amazing manifestations
of somnambulism are probably the result
of the severe strain put on the brain by
the almost ceaseless high pressure at
which it has to work. but, whatever the
cause, it is fact that there are hundreds
of people today who often do in their
sleep. while absolutely unconscious, all
aud even more than they can do when
awake.
Only last week a lady came to consult
me about her son, whose doings were
| causing her great alarm. He is young
painter of considerable promise, and is
engaged on a picture for next years acad-
envy. Night after night, his mother told
me, he would leave his bed, dress, go to
his studio, and paint away at his canvas
for hours at time, and every morning
he would be amazed at the progress of
his picture and the good work that had
mysteriously been put into it. He had
no recollection whatever of having done
the work himself, and refused to believe
his mother when at last she ventured to
| tell him the truth.
| In another case lady artist of my ac-
aIaintance had been commissioned to
| paint portrait of herself for one of her
patrons, but the result was so disappoint-
| ing that she was driven to the verge of
despair. One night she left her bed, put
on her dressing gown, and, taking a mir
ror with her, went to her studio, where
she worked with feverish haste for some
hours Her husband. awalSing, missed
her, and, going in search of her, found
her in the studio, but was afraid to wake
her. The following morning the lady was
considerably astonished to find her task
con peted with a skill which she had
never attained before. She had as she
said, when her husband told her the truth,
painted far better in her sleep than
awake!
Almost more remarkable is another case
which was brought to my notice last year.
An author had been requested to write an
article on a very difficult subject. He
| tried again and again, and each time
with such poor results that he flung his
manuscript on the fire.. AT last he was
obliged to confess to the editor that the
task was beyond him.
A few days later he was amazed to re-
1
him, in most complimentary terms, for the
very article he had been unable to write
Naturally, he thought the editor was
pulling his leg But no such thing. On
going to the office the mysterious article
was produced in his own handwriting,
and, as he confessed, it was quite the best
piece of work he had ever done. He
lhad no recollection whatever of having
written it. and there is no doubt that he
must not only have written it, but posted
lit in his sleep.
Not long ago l had a patient to whom
such feat as this would have seemed
commonplace. He was clever composer.
| and he told me that for years most of his
work had been done in his sleep; so much
so that he rarely ever tried to work dur
ing his waking hours. Morning after
morning. he said. he opened his eyes to
/, see. on the table by his bedside. pages
/ of music which ile had composed during
| the night. and not note of which he re-
membered writing. If he wished to COM
pose a song he would study the words
| carefully, and commit them to memory
just before retiring; and almost invariably
the finished composition was there to
greet him when he awoke. This man
was highly neurotic, abnormal in many
ways. and l was not at all surprised
when at last his brain gave way alto
gether.
/ But there are many quite sane. even
prosaic, people who have this mysterious
gift of unconscious brain work There is
q fancy he is still alive) a vicar in
the Midlands, who would frequently rise
in the middle of the night and sit down to
write a sermon When his work was
finished, he would put on his vestments,
mount chair, and deliver his homily.
with appropriate intonation and gesture.
gust Is II ne we're in the pulpit. That b