anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第217部分

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ons；　and　do　not　appear　to　smell；　taste；　or　see；　the　eyes　are　closed；　turned　upward；　and　the　pupils　contracted　as　in　normal　sleep。

This　subject　has　been　investigated　by　such　authorities　as　Weir　Mitchell　and　Hammond；　and　medical　literature　is　full　of　interesting　cases；　many　differing　in　the　physiologic　phenomena　exhibited；　some　of　the　most　striking　of　these　will　be　quoted。　Van　Kasthoven　of　Leyden　reports　a　strange　case　of　a　peasant　of　Wolkwig　who；　it　is　alleged；　fell　asleep　on　June　29；　1706；　awakening　on　January　11；　1707；　only　to　fall　asleep　again　until　March　15th　of　the　same　year。　Tuke　has　resurrected　the　remarkable　case　reported　by　Arnold　of　Leicester；　early　in　this　century。　The　patient's　name　was　John　Engelbrecht。　This　man　passed　into　a　condition　of　catalepsy　in　which　he　heard　everything　about　him　distinctly；　but　in　his　imagination　he　seemed　to　have　passed　away　to　another　world；　this　condition　coming　on　with　a　suddenness　which　he　describes　as　with　〃far　more　swiftness　than　any　arrow　can　fly　when　discharged　from　a　cross…bow。〃　He　also　lost　his　sensation　from　the　head　downward；　and　recovered　it　in　the　opposite　direction。　At　Bologna　there　was　observed　the　case　of　a　young　female　who　after　a　profound　grief　had　for　forty…two　successive　days　a　state　of　catalepsy　lasting　from　midday　to　midnight。　Muller　of　Lowenburg　records　a　case　of　lethargy　in　a　young　female；　following　a　sudden　fright　in　her　fourteenth　year；　and　abrupt　suppression　of　menstruation。　This　girl　was　really　in　a　sleep　for　four　years。　In　the　first　year　she　was　awake　from　one　minute　to　six　hours　during　the　day。　In　the　second　and　third　years　she　averaged　four　hours　wakefulness　in　ninety…six　hours。　She　took　very　little　nourishment　and　sometimes　had　no　bowel…movement　for　sixteen　days。　Scull　reports　the　history　of　a　man　of　twenty…seven　suffering　with　incipient　phthisis；　who　remained　bedridden　and　in　a　state　of　unconsciousness　for　fifteen　months。　One　day　while　being　fed　he　spoke　out　and　asked　for　a　glass　of　water　in　his　usual　manner；　and　so　frightened　his　sister　that　she　ran　from　the　room。　The　man　had　remembered　nothing　that　had　occurred　during　the　fifteen　months；　and　asked　who　was　president　and　seemed　eager　for　news。　One　curious　fact　was　that　he　remembered　a　field　of　oats　which　was　just　sprouting　about　the　time　he　fell　in　the　trance。　The　same　field　was　now　standing　in　corn　knee…high。　After　his　recovery　from　the　trance　he　rapidly　became　worse　and　died　in　eighteen　months。　There　is　a　record　of　a　man　near　Rochester；　N。Y。；　who　slept　for　five　years；　never　waking　for　more　than　sixteen　hours　at　a　time；　and　then　only　at　intervals　of　six　weeks　or　over。　When　seized　with　his　trance　he　weighed　160；　but　he　dwindled　down　to　90　pounds。　He　passed　urine　once　or　twice　a　day；　and　had　a　stool　once　in　from　six　to　twenty　days。　Even　such　severe　treatment　as　counter…irritation　proved　of　no　avail。　Gunson　mentions　a　man　of　forty…　four；　a　healthy　farmer；　who；　after　being　very　wet　and　not　changing　his　clothes；　contracted　a　severe　cold　and　entered　into　a　long　and　deep　sleep　lasting　for　twelve　hours　at　a　time；　during　which　it　was　impossible　to　waken　him。　This　attack　lasted　eight　or　nine　months；　but　in　1848　there　was　a　recurrence　accompanied　by　a　slight　trismus　which　lasted　over　eighteen　months；　and　again　in　1860　he　was　subjected　to　periods　of　sleep　lasting　over　twenty…four　hours　at　a　time。　Blaudet　describes　a　young　woman　of　eighteen　who　slept　forty　days；　and　again　after　her　marriage　in　her　twentieth　year　she　slept　for　fifty　days；　it　was　necessary　to　draw　a　tooth　to　feed　her。　Four　years　later；　on　Easter　day；　1862；　she　became　insensible　for　twelve　months；　with　the　exception　of　the　eighth　day；　when　she　awoke　and　ate　at　the　table；　but　fell　asleep　in　the　chair。　Her　sleep　was　so　deep　that　nothing　seemed　to　disturb　her；　her　pulse　was　slow；　the　respirations　scarcely　perceptible；　and　there　were　apparently　no　evacuations。

Weir　Mitchell　collected　18　cases　of　protracted　sleep；　the　longest　continuing　uninterruptedly　for　six　months。　Chilton's　case　lasted　seventeen　weeks。　Six　of　the　18　cases　passed　a　large　part　of　each　day　in　sleep；　one　case　twenty…one　hours；　and　another　twenty…three　hours。　The　patients　were　below　middle　life；　ten　were　females；　seven　males；　and　one　was　a　child　whose　sex　was　not　given。　Eight　of　the　18　recovered　easily　and　completely；　two　recovered　with　loss　of　intellect；　one　fell　a　victim　to　apoplexy　four　months　after　awakening；　one　recovered　with　insomnia　as　a　sequel；　and　four　died　in　sleep。　One　recovered　suddenly　after　six　months'　sleep　and　began　to　talk；　resuming　the　train　of　thought　where　it　had　been　interrupted　by　slumber。　Mitchell　reports　a　case　in　an　unmarried　woman　of　forty…five。　She　was　a　seamstress　of　dark　complexion　and　never　had　any　previous　symptoms。　On　July　20；　1865；　she　became　seasick　in　a　gale　of　wind　on　the　Hudson；　and　this　was　followed　by　an　occasional　loss　of　sight　and　by　giddiness。　Finally；　in　November　she　slept　from　Wednesday　night　to　Monday　at　noon；　and　died　a　few　days　later。　Jones　of　New　Orleans　relates　the　case　of　a　girl　of　twenty…seven　who　had　been　asleep　for　the　last　eighteen　years；　only　waking　at　certain　intervals；　and　then　remaining　awake　from　seven　to　ten　minutes。　The　sleep　commenced　at　the　age　of　nine；　after　repeated　large　doses　of　quinin　and　morphin。　Periods　of　consciousness　were　regular；　waking　at　6　A。M。　and　every　hour　thereafter　until　noon；　then　at　3　P。M。；　again　at　sunset；　and　at　9　P。M。；　and　once　or　twice　before　morning。　The　sleep　was　deep；　and　nothing　seemed　to　arouse　her。　Gairdner　mentions　the　case　of　a　woman　who；　for　one　hundred　and　sixty　days；　remained　in　a　lethargic　stupor；　being　only　a　mindless　automaton。　Her　life　was　maintained　by　means　of　the　stomach　tube。　The　Revue　d'Hypnotisme　contains　the　report　of　a　young　woman　of　twenty…five；　who　was　completing　the　fourth　year　of　an　uninterrupted　trance。　She　began　May　30；　1883；　after　a　fright；　and　on　the　same　day；　after　several　convulsive　attacks；　she　fell　into　a　profound　sleep；　during　which　she　was　kept　alive　by　small　quantities　of　liquid　food；　which　she　swallowed　automatically。　The　excretions　were　greatly　diminished；　and　menstruation　was　suppressed。　There　is　a　case　reported　of　a　Spanish　soldier　of　twenty…two；　confined　in　the　Military　Hospital　of　San　Ambrosio；　Cuba；　who　had　been　in　a　cataleptic　state　for　fourteen　months。　His　body　would　remain　in　any　position　in　which　it　was　placed；　defecation　and　micturition　were　normal；　he　occasionally　sneezed　or　coughed；　and　is　reported　to　have　uttered　some　words　at　night。　The　strange　feature　of　this　case　was　that　the　man　was　regularly　nourished　and　increased　in　weight　ten　pounds。　It　was　noted　that；　some　months　before；　this　patient　was　injured　and　had　suffered　extreme　depression；　which　was　attributed　to　nostalgia；　after　which　he　began　to　have　intermittent　and　temporary　attacks；　which　culminated　as　related。　Camuset　and　Planes　in　January；　1896；　mention　a　man　who　began　to　have　grand　hallucinations　in　1883。　In　March；　1884；　he　exhibited　the　first　signs　of　sleep；　and　on　March　10th　it　was　necessary　to　put　him　to　bed；　where　he　remained；　more　or　less　continuously　for　three　months；　awakening　gradually；　and　regaining　his　normal　condition　by　the　middle　of　June。　He　was　fed　by　hand　three　times　daily；　was　placed　on　a　night…chair；　and　with　one　exception　never　evacuated　in　bed。　Five　months　afterward　he　showed　no　signs　of　relapse。　The　latest　report　of　a　〃sleeping　girl〃　is　that　of　the　young　Dutch　maiden；　Maria　Cvetskens；　of　Stevenswerth；　who　on　December　5；　1895；　had　been　asleep　for　two　hundred　and　twenty　days。　She　had　been　visited　by　a　number　of　men　of　good　professional　standing　who；　although　differing　as　to　the　cause　of　her　prolonged　sleep；　universally　agreed　that　there　was　no　deception　in　the　case。　Her　parents　were　of　excellent　repute；　and　it　had　never　occurred　to　them　to　make　any　financial　profit　out　of　the　unnatural　state　of　their　daughter。

Hypnotism。The　phenomenon　of　hypnotism　was　doubtless　known　to　the　Oriental　nations；　and　even　to　the　Greeks；　Romans；　and　Egyptians；　as　well　as　to　other　nations　since　the　downfall　of　the　Roman　Empire。　〃The　fakirs　of　India；　the　musicians　of　Persia；　the　oracles　of　Greece；　the　seers　of　Rome；　the　priests　and　priestesses　of　Egypt；　the　monastic　recluses　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the　ecstatics　of　the　seventeenth　and　early　part　of　the　eighteenth　century　exhibited　many　symptoms　that　were；　and　are　still；　attributed　by　religious　enthusiasts　to　supernatural　agencies；　but　which　are　explainable　by　what　we　know　of　hypnotism。　The　Hesychasts　of　Mount　Athos　who　remained　motionless　for　days　with　their　gaze　directed　steadily　to　the　navel；　the　Taskodrugites　who　remained　statuesque　for　a　long　period　with　the　finger　applied　to　the　nose；　the　Jogins　who　could　hibernate　at　will；　the　Dandins　of　India　who　became　cataleptoid　by　12；000　repetitions　of　the　sacred　word　Om；　St。　Simeon　Stylites　who；　perched　on　a　lofty　pillar；　preserved　an　attitude　of　saint…like　withdrawal　from　earthly　things　for　days；　and　even　Socrates；　of　whom　it　was　said　that　he　would　stand　for　hours　motionless　and　wordlessall　these　are　probable　instances　of　autohypnotism。〃　（Gray。）

Hypnotism　is　spoken　of　as　a　morbid　mental　state　artificially　produced；　and　characterized　by　perversion　or　suspension　of　consciousness；　and　abeyance　of　volition；　a　condition　of　suggestibility　leads　the　patient　to　yield　readily　to　commands　of　external　sense…impressions；　and　there　is　intense　concentration　of　the　mental　faculties　upon　some　idea　or　feeling。　There　are　several　methods　of　inducing　hypnosis；　one　of　which　is　to　give　particular　direction　to　the　subject's　imagination　by　concentrating　the　attention　upon　an　arbitrary　point；　or　by　raising　an　image　of　the　hypnotic　state　in　the　patient's　mind。　The　latter　is　most　readily　induced　by　speech。　Faria　formerly　strained　the　attention　of　the　subject　as　much　as　possible；　and　suddenly　called　out；　〃Sleep！〃　This　method　has　been　used　by　others。　Physical　methods　consist　of　certain　stimuli　of　sight；　hearing；　and　touch。　Taste　and　smell　have　generally　given　negative　results。　Fixation　of　the　gaze　has　been　the　most　successful；　but　the　ticking　of　a　watch　has　been　used。　According　to　Moll；　among　uncivilized　races　particular　instruments　are　used　to　produce　similar　states；　for　example；　the　magic　drum's　sound　among　the　Lapps；　or　among　other　races　th