232 ANIMAL AUTOMATISM. 



bystander. His movements remain free and his expres- 

 sion calm, except for a contraction of the brow, an in- 

 cessant movement of the eyeballs, and a chewing motion 

 of the jaws. The eyes are wide open, and their pupils 

 dilated. If the man happens to be in a place to which 

 he is accustomed, he walks about as usual ; but, if he is 

 in a new place, or if obstacles are intentionally placed in 

 his way, he stumbles gently against them, stops, and then, 

 feeling over the objects with his hands, passes on one 

 side of them. He offers no resistance to any change of 

 direction which may be impressed upon him, or to the 

 forcible acceleration or retardation of his movements. 

 He eats, drinks, smokes, walks about, dresses and un- 

 dresses himself, rises and goes to bed at the accustomed 

 hours. Nevertheless, pins may be run into his body, or 

 strong electric shocks sent through it, without causing 

 the least indication of pain ; no odorous substance, pleas- 

 ant or unpleasant, makes the least impression ; he eats 

 and drinks with avidity whatever is offered, and takes 

 asafoetida, or vinegar, or quinine, as readily as water ; no 

 noise affects him ; and light influences him only under 

 certain conditions. Dr. Mesnet remarks, that the sense 

 of touch alone seems to persist, and indeed to be more 

 acute and delicate than in the normal state ; and it is by 

 means of the nerves of touch, almost exclusively, that 

 his organism is brought into relation with the external 

 world. Here a difficulty arises. It is clear from the 

 facts detailed, that the nervous apparatus by which, in 

 the normal state, sensations of touch are excited, is that 



