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Article NOTES ON SOMNAMBULISM. ← Page 7 of 9 →
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Notes On Somnambulism.
astonishment by tho explanation ' in my mind's eye . Horatio . ' Persons Avho have been on the point of death by drowning , inform us that all the 6 A ents of their life are instantaneously and vividly presented to this ' mind ' s eye . ' Again , we have examples of the influence of mind in the cures of diseases , worked by miraculous and other meanswhere Ave find that faith in the
, efficacy of the spells has actually rendered them effective . Such popular remedies as a dead man ' s hand , prepared in various AA-ays , the royal touch for the king ' s evdl , saintly relics , charms for AA'arts , and a host of similar fallacies , among AA'hich Ave must include modern quack-medicines , compose this class . In another point of viewdo not the passions also effect
, great external changes , — as hope and fear in curing and inducing disease ? A criminal was handed over to the physicians of Montpelier for dissection , who , having bandaged his eyes , stated that they wowld bleed him to death so as to avoid unnecessary pain . They then touched his arm with a lancet , ancl arranged some Avater to droj > into a basin , meanAvhile
remarking aloud on the progress of the imaginary operation . Some time having elapsed , during which the man appeared to be getting gradually fainter , they removed the bandage , and
found that he had expired , of course without the loss of one drop of blood . Extreme anger or joy , also , results in convulsions , and has in many instances terminated in death . We have , hoAvever , protracted our conversation , and I need not introduce fresh subject for discussion ; othenvise the nature of possession , exemplified in sacred and profane Avriters , would
not be uninteresting , and would no doubt be found to present many points of connection with these subjects . Dumas relates a systematic imposture performed at the Ursuline convent of Loudon , in the south of France . The ladies of this place united in simulating possession , in order to effect the destruction of Urban Grandieran ecclesiastical
, functionary of that town , by making it appear as if brought about by his evil agency . The scheme vras for a long time successful , but Avas finally exposed , OAving—ludicrously enough—to the ungrammatical Latin in which some of the spirits expressed themselves . I certainly cannot say , Mr . Clairvoythat I have fully explained to you the phenomena
, of somnambulism ; but I have , at least , brought forward and illustrated some of the points upon Ayhich they seem to depend . " " Perhaps Ave may sum up thus , " said Mr . Clairvoy : " The mind and body in connection constitute our waking existence
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On Somnambulism.
astonishment by tho explanation ' in my mind's eye . Horatio . ' Persons Avho have been on the point of death by drowning , inform us that all the 6 A ents of their life are instantaneously and vividly presented to this ' mind ' s eye . ' Again , we have examples of the influence of mind in the cures of diseases , worked by miraculous and other meanswhere Ave find that faith in the
, efficacy of the spells has actually rendered them effective . Such popular remedies as a dead man ' s hand , prepared in various AA-ays , the royal touch for the king ' s evdl , saintly relics , charms for AA'arts , and a host of similar fallacies , among AA'hich Ave must include modern quack-medicines , compose this class . In another point of viewdo not the passions also effect
, great external changes , — as hope and fear in curing and inducing disease ? A criminal was handed over to the physicians of Montpelier for dissection , who , having bandaged his eyes , stated that they wowld bleed him to death so as to avoid unnecessary pain . They then touched his arm with a lancet , ancl arranged some Avater to droj > into a basin , meanAvhile
remarking aloud on the progress of the imaginary operation . Some time having elapsed , during which the man appeared to be getting gradually fainter , they removed the bandage , and
found that he had expired , of course without the loss of one drop of blood . Extreme anger or joy , also , results in convulsions , and has in many instances terminated in death . We have , hoAvever , protracted our conversation , and I need not introduce fresh subject for discussion ; othenvise the nature of possession , exemplified in sacred and profane Avriters , would
not be uninteresting , and would no doubt be found to present many points of connection with these subjects . Dumas relates a systematic imposture performed at the Ursuline convent of Loudon , in the south of France . The ladies of this place united in simulating possession , in order to effect the destruction of Urban Grandieran ecclesiastical
, functionary of that town , by making it appear as if brought about by his evil agency . The scheme vras for a long time successful , but Avas finally exposed , OAving—ludicrously enough—to the ungrammatical Latin in which some of the spirits expressed themselves . I certainly cannot say , Mr . Clairvoythat I have fully explained to you the phenomena
, of somnambulism ; but I have , at least , brought forward and illustrated some of the points upon Ayhich they seem to depend . " " Perhaps Ave may sum up thus , " said Mr . Clairvoy : " The mind and body in connection constitute our waking existence