James Braid Neurypnology; Or, the Rationale of Nervous Sleep, Considered in Relation With Animal Magnetism

Annotation

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. The next most important point for consideration is, the fact of all the phenomena being consecutive. We have thus the extremes of insensibility, and exalted sensibility, of rigidity and mobility, at different stages, and these merging into each other by the most imperceptible gradations, or in the most abrupt manner, according to the mode of treating the patient. It is no unusual thing for different parties to be testing, or calling for tests, for the opposite con detiens; at the same instant of time. These, of course, are incompatible, but, at a certain stage, the transi tions from torpor of all the senses, and catalep tiform rigidity, to the most exalted sensibility, and flaccidity of muscle, may be effected almost with the celerity of thought, even by so slight a cause as a breath of air directed against the part. If left at rest it will speedily merge back again, and thus those un acquainted with such peculiarities, will be continually liable to think they discover discrepancies, which, however, only originate from their imperfect know ledge of the subject just as an unskilful manipulator will be ready to suppose, from his different results, that the observations of other chemists have been erroneous.