274 STUDIES IN LIFE AND SENSE. 



and upon Examination found his Pulse and the Motion of his Heart 

 gradually returning ; he began to breath gently and speak softly : we 

 were all astonish'd to the last Degree at this unexpected Change, and 

 after some further Conversation with him, and among ourselves, went 

 away fully satisfied as to all the Particulars of this Fact, but con- 

 founded and puzzled, and not able to form any Rational Scheme that 

 might account for it." Thus far Dr. Cheyne. The sequel relates 

 that after calling for his Attorney and adding a codicil to his will, 

 Colonel Townshend "received the Sacrament, and calmly and 

 composedly Expir'd about five or six o'Clock that Evening." 



Thus it appears to be proved beyond doubt that this patient had 

 the power of composedly and perfectly simulating death at will for 

 Dr. Cheyne expressly mentions that Colonel Townshend had " for 

 some Time observed and felt in himself" the peculiar power of 

 which he gave his physicians such satisfactory demonstration. There 

 are few amongst ourselves who will not appreciate to the full Dr. 

 Cheyne's concluding remark, that, having "narrated the Facts," 

 deliberately and distinctly, he may well " leave to the Philosophick 

 Reader to make what Inferences he thinks fit" In addition to all 

 the signs and symptoms of sleep, we have added in Colonel Towns- 

 hend's case the power of intensifying the conditions of somnolence 

 to an extent comparable only to the extinction of vital action itself. 



A case reported in the Medical Times and Gazette and British 

 Medical Journal for 1863 may interest us as presenting us in some 

 measure with a case comparable in man to the hybernating habits of 

 lower forms, and which may also serve as a connecting link between 

 such a case as the previous one and the phenomena of ordinary sleep. 

 A man, aged forty- four years, began in 1842 or 1843, after a severe 

 cold, to exhibit a tendency to indulge in deep and prolonged sleep. 

 The affection returned in 1848, and again in 1860 and in 1866. 

 During the attack his appearance was natural, but the face and ears 

 were pale, feet often cold and livid, respiration scarcely perceptible, 

 and pulse feeble. The account adds that on awakening, the patient 

 felt refreshed. The longest period he passed in sleep was five days 

 and five nights. Frequently a period of three or four days was 

 passed in sleep, the average duration of the attacks being two days, 

 whilst he was awake during four or five hours out of the forty-eight. 

 He did not dream during the period of repose. These remarks apply 

 to his history up to 1860. In 1866 the curious phenomena were 

 again noticed. The patient slept from about 11.30 P.M. on January 2, 

 1866, to 2 P.M. on January 6. At 12 P.M. on February 4 another 

 period of repose began, which lasted until 4 P.M. on February 8 ; 

 when after a wakeful interval of seven hours he dozed off again until 

 the nth, when he remained awake for nine hours, but thereafter slept 

 for four days. From February 16 till February 26 he slept continu- 



