1 74 OF REVERIE. SECT. XIX. 8, 



with each other. As the heart of a viper pulfates long after it 

 is cut out of the body, and removed from the ftimulus of the 

 blood. 



8- In the faction on fleep, it . was obferved that the nerves of 

 fenfe are equally alive and fufceptible to irritation in that ftate, 

 as when we are awake ; but that they are fecluded from ftimu- 

 lating objects, or rendered unfit to receive them : but in com- 

 plete reverie the reverfe happens, the immediate organs of fenfe 

 are expofed to their ufual ftimuli ; but are either not excited into 

 action at all, or not into fo great action, as to produce attention 

 or fenfation. 



The total forgetful nefs of what paiTes in reveries ; and the 

 furprife on recovering from them, are explained in Section 

 XVIIL 19. and in Seftion XVIL 3. 7. 



9. It appears from hence, that reverie is a difeafe of the epilep- 

 tic or cataleptic kind,fince theparoxyfmsof this young lady always 

 began and frequently terminated with convulfions; and though in 

 its greatett degree it has been called fomnambulation, or fleep- 

 walking,it is totally different from fleep; becaufetheeflential char- 

 acter of fleep confifts in a total fufpenfion of volition, which in 

 reverie is not affected ; the eflentiai character of reverie confifts 

 not in the abfence of thofe irritative motions of our fenfes, 

 which are occafioned by the ftimulus of external objects, but in 

 their never being productive of fenfation. So that during a fit 

 of reverie that flrange event happens to the whole fyftern of 

 nerves, which occurs only to fome particular branches of them 

 in thofe, who are a fecond time expofed to the action of conta- 

 gious matter. If the matter of the fmall-pox be inferted into 

 the arm of one, who has previouily had that difeafe, it will 

 ftimulate the wound, but the general fenfation or inflammation 

 of the fyftem does not follow, which conflitutes the difeafe. 

 See Sect. XII. 7. 6. XXXIII. 2. 8. 



10. The following is the definition or character of complete 

 reverie, i. The irritative motions occafioned by internal fti- 

 muli continue, thofe from the ftimuli of external objects are ei- 

 ther not produced at all, or are never fucceeded by fenfation or 

 attention, unlefs they are at the fame time excited by volition. 

 2. The fenfitive motions continue, and are kept confiftent by the 

 power of volition. 3. The voluntary motions continue undif- 

 turbed. 4. The aflbciate motions continue undifturbed. 



Two other cafes of reverie are related in Section XXXIV. 3. 

 which further evince, that reverie is an effort of the mind to re- 

 lieve fome painful fenfation, and is hence allied to convulfion, 

 and to infanity. Another cafe is related in Clafs III. i. 2.2, 



SECT. 



