SECT. XIX. 2. OF REVERIE. 1 7 1 



the whole fenforial power is fo employed on thefe trains of com- 

 plete reverie, that like the violent efforts of volition, as in con- 

 vulfions or infanity ; or like the great activity of the irritative 

 motions in drunkennefs ; or of the fenfitive motions in deliri- 

 um 5 they preclude all fenfation confequent to external ftimulus. 



2. Thofe perfons, who are faid to walk in their ileep, are af~ 

 fefted with reverie to fo great a degree, that it becomes a for- 

 midable difeafe ; the effence of which confifts in the inaptitude 

 of the mind to attend to external ftimuli. Many hiftories of 

 this difeafe have been publilhed by medical writers ; of which 

 there is a very curious one in the Laufanne Tranfaftions. I 

 fhall here fubjoin an account of fuch a cafe, with its cure, for the 

 better illuftration of this fubjedl. 



A very ingenious and elegant young lady, with light eyes and 

 hair, about the age of feventeen, in other refpefts well, was fud~ 

 denly feized foon after her ufual menftruation with this very 

 wonderful malady. The difeafe began with vehement convul- 

 fions of almolt every mufcle of her body, with great but vain ef- 

 forts to vomit, and the moft violent hiccoughs, that can be 

 conceived : thefe were fucceeded in about an hour with a fixed 

 fpafm ; in which one hand was applied to her head, and the other 

 to fupport it : in about half an hour thefe ceafed, and the reverie 

 began fuddenly, and was at fir ft manifeft by the look of her eyes 

 and countenance, which feemed to exprefs attention. Then 

 (he converfed aloud with imaginary perfons with her eyes open, 

 and could not for about an hour be brought to attend to the ftim- 

 ulus of external objefts by any kind of violence, which it was 

 proper to ufe : thefe fymptoms returned in this order every day 

 for five or fix weeks. 



Thefe converfations were quite confident, and we could un- 

 derfland, what fhe fuppofed her imaginary companions to anfwer, 

 by the continuation of her part of the difcourfe. Sometimes 

 (he was angry, at other times (hewed much wit and vivacity, but 

 was moft frequently inclined to melancholy. In thefe reveries 

 fhe ibmetimes fung over fome rnufic with accuracy, and repeated 

 whole pages from the Englifh poets. In repeating fome lines from 

 Mr. Pope's works (he had forgot one word, and began again, en- 

 deavouring to recolledl it ; when fhe came to the forgotten word 

 it was (houted aloud in her ear, and this repeatedly to no pur- 

 pofe ; but by many trials fhe at length regained it herfelf. 



Thefe paroxyfms were terminated with the appearance of in- 

 expreffible furprife, and great fear, from which flie was fome 

 minutes in recovering herfelf, called on her filler with great ag- 

 itation, and very frequently underwent a repetition of convul- 

 fions, apparently from the pain of fear. See Se<ft, XVII. 3. 7. 



After 



