232 THE TWO LIVES;. 



ena. Somnambulists, or sleep-walkers after sleeping 

 soundly a short time get up from their bed, dress them- 

 selves, and go about their usual occupations. They have 

 been known to converse, read, compose, &c. return to 

 their bed, and wake in the morning utterly unconscious 

 of what has happened. The mind seems to be in a. 

 state nearly akin to that known by the name of revery ; 

 the eye and ear remain open, but the impressions made 

 on the mind are confused and indistinct, because the 

 rnind is here, as in common sleep, in a sort of stupor. 

 For the same reason, though they have perfect command 

 of the voluntary motions, yet they are just as likely to 

 throw themselves from the window, and undertake di- 

 vers perilous things, as to do any thing else. This is all 

 we know of sumnambulism. 



Emily. Does not sleep possess some influence over 

 the organic functions ? It seems hardly possible that 

 they should go on with the same vigor, as when they 

 are accompanied by the animal functions. 



Dr. B. They do not ; the circulation is less frequent, 

 respiration heavier, and digestion slow and difficult. All 

 these phenomena strongly proclaim, how complete is the 

 passive and even vegetable condition, during the period- 

 ical repose and renovation of nature. 



Here ends our history of the functions of animal and 

 organic life. You have seen how distinct they are in the 

 animal economy, and yet how uniformly their mutual de- 

 pendence is maintained. 



Emily. Yes we seem to enjoy two lives, in a phy- 

 siological sense ; by one, we grow up and hold our ex- 

 istence ; by the other, we operate on the external world 

 and draw thenceforth the materials of happiness, or mis- 

 ery. By one, we constitute an independent, insulated 

 being ; by the other, we enter the grand chain of exis- 

 tence, a necessary and permanent link. 



J) r . J5. The animal functions we have seen require 

 intervals of repose ; the organic functions, on the contrary, 

 are incessantly going on let respiration or circulation 

 once cease, and existence is at an end, 



