SLEEP- WAKING. 655 



How much duller so ever than the rest of the servants this poor 

 girl was considered, it is evident that she had observed greatly and 

 acquired a store of knowledge. She was probably very reserved 

 and contemplative, and could learn in her own way only. The 

 really cleverest children are often considered stupid ; while the 

 quick and prattling, who turn out but ordinary adults, are 

 thought prodigies. 



Now at last comes the special wonder : greater than that 

 of the young priest or the Swiss boy. Dr. Petetin, perpetual 

 President of the Medical Society of Lyons about fifty years ago , 

 had a cataleptic patient who seemed perfectly insensible. While 

 addressing her loudly with the view of rousing her, he acci- 

 dentally moved his face from her head towards the epigastrium 

 in finishing the sentence ; when to his surprise she heard him 

 distinctly. He made many trials, and found the same thing in- 

 variably take place : and then, making experiment after experi- 

 ment, he discovered that she could taste, smell, and read, and 

 read even through an opake body, by the epigastrium : and at last 

 he found that speaking atone end of a conductor, the other end of 

 which rested on the epigastrium, was quite sufficient to make her 

 perceive. Van Helmont, a century and a half before, had de- 

 clared that, after tasting some aconite, his head felt strange, and 

 all his intellect seemed to have left his head and taken up its 

 residence for two hours at his epigastrium. He was giddy for 

 two hours, and then in his ordinary condition. h The simple ex- 

 planation is, that Van Helmont was deliripus through the narcotic ; 

 and at page 4?0.suprd, I mentioned that on one occasion of mental 

 transport he actually saw his little soul in his stomach. Dr. Pe- 

 tetin tried other sleep-waking patients 1 , and found the same phe- 

 nomena ; and in some that the ends of the fingers and toes had 

 the same power as the epigastrium. Dr. Petetin secretly placed 

 pieces of cake, tarts, &c. upon the epigastrium, and immediately 

 the peculiar taste was perceived in the mouth : if they were 

 wrapped in silk, there was no taste till they were uncovered. 

 One patient distinguished a letter folded four times, and inclosed 



8 Memoire sur la Decouverte des Phenomenes que prtsentent la Catalepsie et 

 le Somnambulisme. Par M. Petetin. 1787. 



h Demensidea, 11. sq. 



1 Electricite Animate prouvee par la Dtcouverte des Phenomenes Physiques et 

 Moraux de la Catalepsie Hysttrique, et de ses Variete's. 1 800. 



X X 



