712 FUNCTIONS OF THE CEREBRO -SPINAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. 



other sensations. Let the sleeper be gently touched, and he shows sensi- 

 bility, if at all, by some slight muscular movement. A ruder touch excites 

 more disturbance and motion, and probably changes the current of dream- 

 ing ; yet sleep will go on ; and it often requires a rough shaking, particu- 

 larly in young persons, before full wakefulness can be obtained." ..." It 

 is certain that the faculties of sensibility and volition are often unequally 

 awakened from sleep. The case may be stated, familiar to many, of a per- 

 son sleeping in an upright posture, with the head falling over the breast; in 

 whom sensibility is suddenly aroused by some external impression, but who 

 is unable, for a certain time, to raise his head, though the sensation produced 

 by this delay of voluntary action is singularly distressing." These various 

 cases, it is justly remarked by Sir H. Holland, 1 depending severally on the 

 intensity of sleep, and on the kind and degree of the external exciting causes, 

 will be found to explain many of those so-called Mesmeric phenomena, 

 which are offered to us under a widely different interpretation. And it may 

 be here remarked, that among those intermediate stages between sleep and 

 waking, which either occur spontaneously, or can be induced in numerous 

 individuals by very simple processes, there are several which exhibit pecu- 

 liarities that are not in themselves in the least degree less remarkable, than 

 are those which are regarded with so much wonder by the uninformed ob- 

 server, when induced by the asserted Mesmeric influence, and paraded as 

 specimens of its power. 



577. It is unquestionable that the supervention of Sleep may be promoted 

 by the strong previous expectation of it ; and this is true, not merely of ordi- 

 nary sleep, but of the states of artificial Reverie and Somnambulism for- 

 merly described. Every one knows the influence of habit, not only in re- 

 gard to " time," but also as to " place and circumstance," in predisposing to 

 Sleep. Thus, the celebrated pedestrian, Captain Barclay, when accomplish- 

 ing his extraordinary feat of walking 1000 miles in as many successive hours, 

 obtained at last such mastery over himself that he fell asleep the instant he 

 lay down. And the sleep of soldiers, sailors, and others, who are prevented 

 by "duty" from obtaining regular periods of repose, but are obliged to take 

 their rest at short intervals, may be almost said to come at command ; 

 nothing more being necessary to induce it, than the placing the body in an 

 easy position, and the closure of the eyes. It is related that the Abbe 

 Faria, who acquired notoriety through his power of inducing somnambulism, 

 was accustomed merely to place his patient in an arm-chair, and then, after 

 telling him to shut his eyes and collect himself, to pronounce in a strong 

 voice and imperative tone the word "dormez," which was usually successful. 

 The Author has had frequent opportunities of satisfying himself, that the 

 greater success which attended the "hypnotic" mode of inducing somnam- 

 bulism, in the hands of Mr. Braid, its discoverer, than in that of others, 

 partly lay in the mental condition of his subjects, who came to him for the 

 most part under the confident expectation of its production, and were fur- 

 ther assured by a man of very determined will, that it could not be re- 

 sisted. 2 And it is one of the most curious phenomena of the state of in- 

 duced Reverie, absurdly called "biological," that, in many subjects at least, 

 sleep may be induced in a minute or less, by the positive assurance, with 



1 Sec his excellent cli:i|>ti'r, on Sleep, from which the above oxtriicts are taken, in 

 lii- Medical Notes and Reflections, and his Chapters on Mental Physiology. 



2 A very amusing instance in which Sleep having been previously induced by the 

 ordinary " mesmeric." and then by the " hypnotic 1 ' processes, was brought on by the 

 simple- ln-lief that a new process was beini; put in practice, will be found in the Brit, 

 and For. Aled. Rev., vol. xix, p. 477. 



