The philosophy of sleep / by Robert Macnish.

  • Macnish, Robert, 1802-1837.
Date:
1834
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The philosophy of sleep / by Robert Macnish. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    undoubtedly originated in some diseased state of the brain, terminated in epilepsy. Dr. Gall relates that he saw at Berlin a young man, sixteen years of age, who had, from time to time, very extraordi- nary fits. He moved about unconsciously in bed, and had no perception of any thing that was done to him; at. last he would jump out of bed, and walk with rapid steps about the room, his eyes be- ing fixed and open. Several obstacles which were placed by Dr. Gall in his way, he either removed or cautiously avoided. He then threw himself suddenly again upon bed, moved about for some time, and finished by jumping up awake, not a little surprised at the tiumber of curious people about him. The facility with which somnambulists are awakened from the paroxysm, differs extremely in different cases. One man is aroused by being gently touched or called upon, by a flash of light, by stumbling in his peregrinations, or by setting his foot in water. Another remains so heavily asleep, that it is necessary to shout loudly, to shake him with violence, and make use of other excitations equally powerful. In this condition, when the sense of vision chances to be dormant, it is curious to look at his eyes. Sometimes they are shut; at other times wide open; and when the latter is the case, they are observed to be fixed and inexpressive, without speculation, or energy, while the pupil, is contracted, as in the case of perfect sleep.