The following account of a remarkable case of somnambulism contributed
to the American Journal of Medical Science by Dr. Belden, an able
practitioner, who attended the lady afflicted with these somnambulic
paroxysms:
* * * “After several attempts to keep her in bed, it was determined
to suffer her to take her own course. Released from restraint, she
dressed herself, went down stairs and proceeded to make preparations
for breakfast. She set the table, arranged the various articles with
the utmost precision, went into a dark room to a closet at the most
remote corner of it, from which she took the coffee cups, placed them
on a tray, turned it sideways to pass through the door, avoided all
intervening obstacles, and deposited the whole safely on the table.
She then went into the pantry, the blinds of which were shut and the
doors closed after her. She then skimmed the milk, poured the cream
into one cup and the milk into another without spilling a drop. She
then cut the bread, placed it regularly on the plate, and divided the
slices in the middle. In fine, she went through the whole operation of
preparing breakfast with as much precision as she could in open day,
and this with her eyes closed, and without any light except that of one
lamp which was standing in the room to enable the family to observe her
operations. She finally returned voluntarily to bed, and on finding
the table arranged for breakfast when she made her appearance in the
morning inquired why she had been suffered to sleep while another
performed her duty. None of the transactions of the preceding night had
left the slightest impression on her mind. In one instance she not only
arranged the table for a meal, but actually prepared a dinner with her
eyes closed.”