his occupation until he had relighted his
candle at the fire. In this case we may observe
that he could not see, excepting with
the candle he had himself lighted, and he was
insensible to every other, excepting that on
which his attention was fixed.

How are these curious anomalies to be explained?
There is, it appears to us, a striking
analogy between the actions as they are performed
by the blind and those executed by
somnambulists, who are insensible to light; the
exaltation of the sense of touch, in blindness,
is so great that some physiologists have conceived
the existence of a sixth sense—the
muscular sense—which communicates the
impression before the actual contact of
objects. This muscular sense is supposed
by Dr. Fowler to adjust the voice, the eye,
and the ear, to the distances at which sounds
are to be heard, and objects seen. It may,
perhaps, be described as a peculiar exaltation
of the sense of feeling. A lady during
her somnambulism, observed to Despine, her
physician, " You think that I do not know
what is passing around me; but you are mistaken.
I see nothing; but I feel something
that makes an impression on me, which I
cannot explain." Another somnambulist, a
patient of Hufeland, used to say invariably,
"I feel "—" I am conscious " of the existence
of this or that object. The blind girl, Jane
Sullivan, described by Dr. Fowler, could, without
a guide, feel her way to every part of the
workhouse, and recognise all its inmates by
the feel of their hand and clothes. It is said
of Laura Bridgman, that she could, in walking
through a passage, with her hands spread
before her, recognise her companions, and
could in this way distinguish even their
different degrees of intellect; nay, that she
would regard with contempt a new-comer,
after discovering her weakness of mind. It
has been also observed, that the pupils in the
Manchester Asylum for the Blind are aware,
by this muscular sense, of their approach, even
to a lamp-post, before actually coming against
or up to it. May not the somnambulist walking
through intricate passages and performing
complicated manual operations in the dark
have his movements guided by this sense?
May he not, in like manner, be sensible of his
approach to obstructing obstacles, and may
not this sense, in a higher degree of development,
lead to perceptions, which are ordinarily
conveyed to the mind through their appropriate
and respective organs?

The sense of hearing in somnambulism is not
often suspended, for, generally speaking,
somnambulists will answer questions and carry on
conversation; but it is remarkable that the
same ear which may be deaf to the loudest
noises, will perceive even a whisper from one
particular person with whom the sleeper may
alone appear to hold communion. In the
"Transactions of the Medical Society " at
Breslau, we meet with the case of a somnambulist
who did not hear even the report of a
pistol fired close to him. In another instance,
that of Signor Augustin, an Italian nobleman,
his servants could not arouse him from his
sleep by any description of noise—even blowing
a trumpet in his ear. On the other hand, the
same individual would, in another paroxysm,
apply his ear to the key-hole of the door, and
listen attentively to noises which he heard in
the kitchen. The sense of smell, as we have
observed, is frequently altered. Brimstone
and phosphorus are said to have a pleasant
scent to the somnambulist, but sometimes it
appears completely abolished. In one case, a
snuff-box, filled with coffee, was given to a
somnambulist, who took it as he would have
taken snuff, without perceiving the difference.
So also is it with taste. Some somnambulists
have not been able to distinguish wine from
water.

Another very remarkable circumstance has
been observed in somnambulism; it is, that
persons in this state have exhibited an
extraordinary exaltation of knowledge. Two
females mentioned by Bertrand, expressed
themselves, during the paroxyms, very distinctly
in Latin; although they afterwards
admitted having an imperfect acquaintance
with this language. An ignorant servant girl,
described by Dr. Dewar, evinced an astonishing
knowledge of astronomy and geography,
and expressed herself in her own language in
a manner which, though often ludicrous,
showed an understanding of the subject. It
was afterwards discovered that her notions on
these subjects had been derived from hearing
a tutor giving instructions to the young
people of the family. A woman in the
Infirmary of Edinburgh, on account of an
affection of this kind, during her somnambulism,
mimicked the manner of the physicians,
and repeated correctly some of their prescriptions
in the Latin language. Many of these
apparent wonders are referable to the circumstance
of old associations being vividly
recalled to the mind; this very frequently
happens also in the delirium of fever. There
is nothing miraculous in such cases, although
upon them are founded a host of stories
descriptive of persons in their sleep speaking
unknown languages, predicting future
events, and being suddenly possessed of inspiration.

Not only are the mental powers intensified
in this state, but the physical energies are
unwontedly increased. Horstius relates the
case of a young nobleman living in the
Citadel of Breslau, who used to steal out of
his window during his sleep, muffled up in
a cloak, and, by great muscular exertion,
ascend the roof of the building where, one
night, he tore in pieces a magpie's nest,
wrapped up the little ones in his cloak,
and then returned to bed; and, on the following
morning, related the circumstances as
having occurred in a dream, nor could he be
persuaded of its reality until the magpies in
the cloak were shown to him. In the