anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第216部分

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rance。

Marville　quotes　the　case　of　an　Italian　of　thirty；　melancholic；　and　a　deep　thinker；　who　was　observed　one　evening　in　his　bed。　It　was　seen　that　he　slept　with　his　eyes　open　but　fixed　and　immovable。　His　hands　were　cold；　and　his　pulse　extremely　slow。　At　midnight　he　brusquely　tore　the　curtains　of　his　bed　aside；　dressed　himself；　went　to　his　stable；　and　mounted　a　horse。　Finding　the　gate　of　the　court　yard　closed　he　opened　it　with　the　aid　of　a　large　stone。　Soon　he　dismounted；　went　to　a　billiard　room；　and　simulated　all　the　movements　of　one　playing。　In　another　room　he　struck　with　his　empty　hands　a　harpsichord；　and　finally　returned　to　his　bed。　He　appeared　to　be　irritated　when　anybody　made　a　noise；　but　a　light　placed　under　his　nose　was　apparently　unnoticed。　He　awoke　if　his　feet　were　tickled；　or　if　a　horn　was　blown　in　his　ear。　Tissot　transmits　to　us　the　example　of　a　medical　student　who　arose　in　the　night；　pursued　his　studies；　and　returned　to　bed　without　awaking；　and　there　is　another　record　of　an　ecclesiastic　who　finished　his　sermon　in　his　sleep。

The　Archbishop　of　Bordeaux　attests　the　case　of　a　young　ecclesiastic　who　was　in　the　habit　of　getting　up　during　the　night　in　a　state　of　somnambulism；　taking　pen；　ink；　and　paper；　and　composing　and　writing　sermons。　When　he　had　finished　a　page　he　would　read　aloud　what　he　had　written　and　correct　it。　In　order　to　ascertain　whether　the　somnambulist　made　any　use　of　his　eyes　the　Archbishop　held　a　piece　of　cardboard　under　his　chin　to　prevent　his　seeing　the　paper　upon　which　he　was　writing。　He　continued　to　write　without　being　in　the　slightest　degree　incommoded。　In　this　state　he　also　copied　out　pieces　of　music；　and　when　it　happened　that　the　words　were　written　in　too　large　characters　and　did　not　stand　over　the　corresponding　notes　he　perceived　his　error；　blotted　them　out；　and　wrote　them　over　again　with　great　exactness。

Negretti；　a　sleep…walker；　sometimes　carried　a　candle　about　with　him　as　if　to　furnish　him　light　in　his　employment；　but　when　a　bottle　was　substituted　he　carried　it；　fancying　that　he　had　the　candle。　Another　somnambulist；　Castelli；　was　found　by　Dr。　Sloane　translating　Italian　and　French　and　looking　out　words　in　his　dictionary。　His　candle　was　purposely　extinguished；　whereupon　he　immediately　began　groping　about；　as　if　in　the　dark；　and；　although　other　lighted　candles　were　in　the　room；　he　did　not　resume　his　occupation　until　he　had　relighted　his　candle　at　the　fire。　He　was　insensible　to　the　light　of　every　candle　excepting　the　one　upon　which　his　attention　was　fixed。

Tuke　tells　of　a　school…boy　who　being　unable　to　master　a　school…problem　in　geometry　retired　to　bed　still　thinking　of　the　subject；　he　was　found　late　at　night　by　his　instructor　on　his　knees　pointing　from　spot　to　spot　as　though　he　were　at　the　blackboard。　He　was　so　absorbed　that　he　paid　no　attention　to　the　light　of　the　candle；　nor　to　the　speech　addressed　to　him。　The　next　morning　the　teacher　asked　him　if　he　had　finished　his　problem；　and　he　replied　that　he　had；　having　dreamt　it　and　remembered　the　dream。　There　are　many　such　stories　on　record。　Quoted　by　Gray；　Mesnet　speaks　of　a　suicidal　attempt　made　in　his　presence　by　a　somnambulistic　woman。　She　made　a　noose　of　her　apron；　fastened　one　end　to　a　chair　and　the　other　to　the　top　of　a　window。　She　then　kneeled　down　in　prayer；　made　the　sign　of　the　cross；　mounted　a　stool；　and　tried　to　hang　herself。　Mesnet；　scientific　to　the　utmost；　allowed　her　to　hang　as　long　as　he　dared；　and　then　stopped　the　performance。　At　another　time　she　attempted　to　kill　herself　by　violently　throwing　herself　on　the　floor　after　having　failed　to　fling　herself　out　of　the　window。　At　still　another　time　she　tried　poison；　filling　a　glass　with　water；　putting　several　coins　into　it；　and　hiding　it　after　bidding　farewell　to　her　family　in　writing；　the　next　night；　when　she　was　again　somnambulistic；　she　changed　her　mind　once　more；　writing　to　her　family　explaining　her　change　of　purpose。　Mesnet　relates　some　interesting　experiments　made　upon　a　French　sergeant　in　a　condition　of　somnambulism；　demonstrating　the　excitation　of　ideas　in　the　mind　through　the　sense　of　touch　in　the　extremities。　This　soldier　touched　a　table；　passed　his　hands　over　it；　and　finding　nothing　on　it；　opened　the　drawer；　took　out　a　pen；　found　paper　and　an　inkstand；　and　taking　a　chair　he　sat　down　and　wrote　to　his　commanding　officer　speaking　of　his　bravery；　and　asking　for　a　medal。　A　thick　metallic　plate　was　then　placed　before　his　eyes　so　as　to　completely　intercept　vision。　After　a　few　minutes；　during　which　he　wrote　a　few　words　with　a　jumbled　stroke；　he　stopped；　but　without　any　petulance。　The　plate　was　removed　and　he　went　on　writing。　Somnambulism　may　assume　such　a　serious　phase　as　to　result　in　the　commission　of　murder。　There　is　a　case　of　a　man　of　twenty…seven；　of　steady　habits；　who　killed　his　child　when　in　a　state　of　somnambulism。　He　was　put　on　trial　for　murder；　and　some　of　the　most　remarkable　facts　of　his　somnambulistic　feats　were　elicited　in　the　evidence。　It　is　said　that　once　when　a　boy　he　arose　at　night　while　asleep；　dressed　himself；　took　a　pitcher　and　went　for　milk　to　a　neighboring　farm；　as　was　his　custom。　At　another　time　he　worked　in　a　lumber…yard　in　a　rain…storm　while　asleep。　Again；　when　about　twenty…one；　he　was　seen　in　a　mill…pond　wading　about　attempting　to　save　his　sister　who　he　imagined　was　drowning。　The　worst　phase　of　his　somnambulism　was　the　impending　fears　and　terrible　visions　to　which　he　was　subjected。　Sometimes　he　would　imagine　that　the　house　was　on　fire　and　the　walls　about　to　fall　upon　him；　or　that　a　wild　beast　was　attacking　his　wife　and　child；　and　he　would　fight；　screaming　inarticulately　all　the　while。　He　would　chase　the　imaginary　beast　about　the　room；　and　in　fact　had　grasped　one　of　his　companions；　apparently　believing　he　was　in　a　struggle　with　a　wild　beast。　He　had　often　injured　himself　in　these　struggles；　and　had　often　attacked　his　father；　his　wife；　sister；　fellow…lodgers；　and　while　confined　in　jail　he　attacked　one　of　his　fellow…prisoners。　His　eyes　would　always　be　wide　open　and　staring；　he　was　always　able　to　avoid　pieces　of　furniture　which　were　in　his　way；　and　he　occasionally　threw　them　at　his　visionary　enemies。　At　the　time　of　the　murder　of　his　child；　in　a　somnambulistic　attack；　he　imagined　that　he　saw　a　wild　beast　rise　up　from　the　floor　and　fly　at　his　child；　a　babe　of　eighteen　months。　He　sprang　at　the　beast　and　dashed　it　to　the　ground；　and　when　awakened；　to　his　horror　and　overwhelming　grief　he　found　that　he　had　killed　his　beloved　baby。　A　similar　record　has　been　reported　of　a　student　who　attempted　during　the　night　to　stab　his　teacher；　the　man　was　disarmed　and　locked　up　in　another　portion　of　the　building；　but　he　had　not　the　slightest　remembrance　of　the　events　of　the　night。

Yellowlees　speaks　of　homicide　by　a　somnambulist。　According　to　a　prominent　New　York　paper；　one　of　the　most　singular　and　at　the　same　time　sad　cases　of　somnambulism　occurred　a　few　years　ago　near　Bakersville；　N。C。　A　young　man　there　named　Garland　had　been　in　the　habit　of　walking　in　his　sleep　since　childhood。　Like　most　other　sleep…walkers　when　unmolested；　his　ramblings　had　been　without　harm　to　himself　or　others。　Consequently　his　wife　paid　little　attention　to　them。　But　finally　he　began　to　stay　away　from　the　house　longer　than　usual　and　always　returned　soaking　wet。　His　wife　followed　him　one　night。　Leaving　his　home　he　followed　the　highway　until　he　came　to　a　rough；　narrow　pig…trail　leading　to　the　Tow　River。　His　wife　followed　with　difficulty；　as　he　picked　his　way　through　the　tangled　forest；　over　stones　and　fallen　trees　and　along　the　sides　of　precipitous　cliffs。　For　more　than　a　mile　the　sleeper　trudged　on　until　he　came　to　a　large　poplar　tree；　which　had　fallen　with　its　topmost　branches　far　out　in　the　river。　Walking　on　the　log　until　he　came　to　a　large　limb　extending　over　the　water；　he　got　down　on　his　hands　and　knees　and　began　crawling　out　on　it。　The　frightened　wife　screamed；　calling　to　him　to　wake　up　and　come　back。　He　was　awakened　by　the　cries；　fell　into　the　river；　and　was　drowned。　Each　night　for　weeks　he　had　been　taking　that　perilous　trip；　crawling　out　on　the　limb；　leaping　from　it　into　the　river；　swimming　to　the　shore；　and　returning　home　unconscious　of　anything　having　happened。

Dreams；　nightmare；　and　night　terrors　form　too　extensive　a　subject　and　one　too　well　known　to　be　discussed　at　length　here；　but　it　might　be　well　to　mention　that　sometimes　dreams　are　said　to　be　pathognomonic　or　prodromal　of　approaching　disease。　Cerebral　hemorrhage　has　often　been　preceded　by　dreams　of　frightful　calamities；　and　intermittent　fever　is　often　announced　by　persistent　and　terrifying　dreams。　Hammond　has　collected　a　large　number　of　these　prodromic　dreams；　seeming　to　indicate　that　before　the　recognizable　symptoms　of　disease　present　themselves　a　variety　of　morbid　dreams　may　occur。　According　to　Dana；　Albers　says：　〃Frightful　dreams　are　signs　of　cerebral　congestion。　Dreams　about　fire　are；　in　women；　signs　of　impending　hemorrhage。　Dreams　about　blood　and　red　objects　are　signs　of　inflammatory　conditions。　Dreams　of　distorted　forms　are　frequently　a　sign　of　abdominal　obstruction　and　diseases　of　the　liver。〃

Catalepsy；　trance；　and　lethargy；　lasting　for　days　or　weeks；　are　really　examples　of　spontaneously　developed　mesmeric　sleep　in　hysteric　patients　or　subjects　of　incipient　insanity。　If　the　phenomenon　in　these　cases　takes　the　form　of　catalepsy　there　is　a　waxy…like　rigidity　of　the　muscles　which　will　allow　the　limbs　to　be　placed　in　various　positions；　and　maintain　them　so　for　minutes　or　even　hours。　In　lethargy　or　trance…states　the　patient　may　be　plunged　into　a　deep　and　prolonged　unconsciousness　lasting　from　a　few　hours　to　several　years。　It　is　in　this　condition　that　the　lay　journals　find　argument　for　their　stories　of　premature　burial；　and　from　the　same　source　the　fabulous　〃sleeping　girls〃　of　the　newspapers　arise。　Dana　says　that　some　persons　are　in　the　habit　of　going　into　a　mesmeric　sleep　spontaneously。　In　these　states　there　may　be　a　lowering　of　bodily　temperature；　a　retarding　of　the　respiration　and　heart…action；　and　excessive　sluggishness　of　the　action　of　the　bowels。　The　patients　can　hear　and　may　respond　to　suggestions；　though　apparently　insensible　to　painful　impressions；　and　do　not　appear　to　smell；　taste；　or　see；　the　eyes　are　closed；　turned　upward；　and　the　pupils　c