368 MENTAL FUNCTIONS OF 



authors, as Gall remarks", and repeated with little variation, by 

 the European writers of the middle ages." In the 13th century, 



panied by a special memory ; so that consciousness was double, one for the 

 ordinary state, and the other for the fits. 



" Dr. Devan read to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, in February, 1822, the 

 history of a case, observed by Dr. Dyer of Aberdeen, in a girl, 16 years old, 

 which lasted from 2d March to llth June, 1815. The first symptom was an un- 

 common propensity to fall asleep in the evenings. This was followed by the 

 habit of talking in her sleep on those occasions. One evening she fell asleep in 

 this manner : imagining herself an episcopal clergyman, she went through the 

 ceremony of baptising three children, and gave an appropriate prayer. Her 

 mistress shook her by the shoulders, on which she awoke, and appeared uncon- 

 scious of every thing, except that she had fallen asleep, of which she showed her- 

 self ashamed. She sometimes dressed herself and the children while in this 

 state, or, as Miss L. called it, dead asleep ; ' answered questions put to her in 

 such a manner as to show that she understood the question ; but the answers 

 were often, though not always, incongruous. One day in this state she sat at 

 breakfast, with perfect correctness, with her eyes shut. She afterwards awoke 

 with the child on her knees, and wondered how she got on her clothes. Some- 

 times the cold air awakened her ; at other times she was seized with the affection 

 whilst walking out with the children. She sang a hymn delightfully in this 

 state ; and, from a comparison which Dr. Dyer had an opportunity of making, 

 it appeared incomparably better done than she could accomplish when awake. 

 In the mean time a still more singular and interesting symptom began to make 

 its appearance. The circumstances which occurred during the paroxysm were 

 completely forgotten by her when the paroxysms were over, but were perfectly 

 remarked during subsequent paroxysms. Her mistress said, that when in this 

 stupor, on subsequent occasions, she told her what was said to her on the evening 

 when she baptised the children. A depraved fellow servant, understanding that 

 she wholly forgot every transaction that occurred during the fit, clandestinely 

 introduced a young man into the house, who treated her with the utmost rude- 

 ness, whilst her fellow servant stopped her mouth with the bed-clothes, and 

 otherwise overpowered a vigorous resistance which was made by her even during 

 the influence of her complaint. Next day she had not the slightest recollec 

 tion even of that transaction ; nor did any person interested in her welfare know 

 of it for several days, till she was in one of her paroxysms, when she related the 

 whole fact to her mother. Next Sunday she was taken to church by^lier mistress 

 while the paroxysm was on her. She shed tears during the sermon., particularly 

 during the account given of the execution of three young men at Edint ri 'g^> 

 who had described, in their dying declarations, the dangerous **i>s with which 



u 4to. vol. ii. p. 358., 8vo. t. ii. p. 353. See Avicenna, 1. i. sect. 1. doctr. 6. 

 cap. v. p. 25. 



