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importance of phrenology not only in deter-mining the faculties of the mind, but in re-ferring various phenomena to their truecauses. Without an examination of the de-velopment of the brain at a particular spotin persons remarkable for their acutenessor deficiency of judgment of colours, thiswould not be ascribed to its true cause, andthe most singular explanation would begiven of its deficiency ; for example, Pro-fessor Dugald Stew art ascribes it to a defectin the power of conception, and this as re-sulting probably from some early habit ofinattention. But what particular attentiondo children who distinguish colours accu-rately bestow ? They distinguish withoutefiort, and those who cannot are not onlynot proved to have been inattentive, buthave most probably been otten extraordina-l’ilyattentive, in the hope of seeing whaothers can see. How should want of atten-tion to this one point be hereditary in families passing through a generation, &ec. ?This is a specimen of the errors of metaphy-sicians ; they see and generally acknow-ledge that the brain is the organ of themind, yet they observe the faculties of themind without even once considering theorgan which possesses, or is employed, inthe working of these faculties. Gall ex-amined the two together, and we now know,through him, that local deficiency of brainboth exists where the faculty of distinguish-ing colours is deficient and is hereditary ;with this deficiency Dr. Dalton has endea-voured to explain this peculiarity in visionin his own case, by supposing that the vitre.ous humour is blue, and therefore absorbs agreat portion of the red rays, and other leastrefrangible rays ; but this opinion, says SirDavid Brewster, is, we think, not wellfounded. Sir David’s own opinion, how-ever, is founded no better, for he speaks ofthe defect as a singular effect of the retina.Sir John Herschell, though no doubt unac-quainted with phrenology, adepts the trueopinion, and attributes (in the " Encyclo-paedia Metropolitana ") this state of visionto a defect in the sensorium, by which it isrendered incapable of appreciating thosedifferences between rays on which their Icolour depends. !

Dr. Elliotson, showing that an advancehad been made upon this subject since the time of Gall, by the establishing the factthat the deficiency related commonly to thered ray, urged the necessity of collecting asmany of these cases as possible, with a viewof determining the relative frequency of de-ficiency in regard to the yellow and the blueray, and of deficiency in regard to any twoof the three primitive rays. He also sug-gested that it would be interesting to learnwhether some cases of blindness, in whichthe eye appeared perfect, depended upon aninability to discern any of the three primi-tive rays, and were attended by a total ab-

sence of the organ of colour. He also, afterremarking that all cases of deficiency of thepower of distinguishing colour hitherto ex,amined, had been attended by a defectivedevelopment of the organ, suggested thatthe form and extent of the deficiency of theorgan should be carefully noted in everycase, that it might be known what relation,if any, existed between these and the defi.ciency of judgment.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL.

ANIMAL MAGNETISM.

FIFTH REPORT OF EXPERIMENTSAND FACTS.

THE various states of mind and bodywhich the two girls, Elizabeth and JaneO’Key, exhibit on different occasions, arein every respect curious and interesting,w hether contemplated as the real phenomenaof disease, or even as conditions which arevoluntarily assumed. Regarded in the for.mer light they are singularly impressive asillustrations of insanity, prodzscible at will,by any operator, lasting almost at his plea.sure, and developing rare forms and pecu.liarities of mental alienation. If viewedas the efforts of dissimulators, they are

equally remarkable as instances of perfec-tion in acting and deception which defy themost vigilant scrutiny to detect proofs ofthe imposition. True. there are not want.

I ing those who pronounce or suspect thewhole to be trick, but these gentlemeneither boldly denounce the patients as

cheats, without having watched them at all,or having seen them, still offer only conjec-tural proofs taat the sleep, or the tempo-rary madness, is simulated. Yet under thecircumstances, considering how many ablescientific men, of high reputation for saga.city and penetration, are known to haveavowed in private that they accredit thegood faith of the girls, it is not sufficient,to ensure a conversion to opinions in favourof the alleged dissimulation, that the pa.tients should be denounced in round and’ general terms. Unprejudiced believers it)their honesty,-careful personal observersof facts,- reasonably require more exactand well-authenticated evidences on thisside of the question, than they say have yet

been offered to their notice, although facili,ties for observation and detection have beenopen to all parties, and might be effectuallyensured. Some gentlemen acknowledge thecoma and stupefaction to be undoubtedlyreal, but do not accredit the phenomenawhich ’occur in the latter state. (Few ornone occur during the former.) But it is re-plied, that their observations, reflections, andcomparisons respecting them have been toolimited ; and it is undoubtedly true that thehighest degree of patience, carefulness, and

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delicacy is required, in noticing the insa- she still remained so obstinate in her iucli-city; but this, it is obvious, it can fall to nation to imitate, that at the very next passthe lot of but few persons to exercise, the she again sank down, affecting sleep. This

opportunities for undisturbed investigations girl, however, always failed to enact her

of the phenomena being of the same rarity part when the wave of the hand was madeas if the inquiry had to be made by unpre- beyond her range of vision. An account of

pared observers in the retreat of a chemical these cases was given by Dr. Elliotson in alaboratory. Like experiments hastily per- clinical lecture on the 5th instant, and itsformed oninanimate substances, those which publication will render further details re-are carelessly tried with these patients con- specting them unnecessary here;* but antinually give anomalous and seemingly con- incident occurred with regard to this girltradictory results,-a fact which instantly (Charlotte Bentley) which, as it illustratesforces us back to what we have already one variety in the madness of Elizabethpronounced to be the first and most essential O’Key, we shall narrate.of all questions in this iucluiry,—Is THE Attention was more particularly drawn toSLEEP real? this girl’s proceedings by a reply of Eliza-The reply to this inquiry must not only both ()’Key during somnambulism respect-

derive support from the evidences which are ing her.† On being asked how the decep-presented to notice during the sleep itself,- it should also be sought for in other of the A report of this lecture is before us,states and events which occur to the pa- hut we cannot find room for it this week.

tients, and in a careful watching of the eA«- t Some circumstances connected withracter, and a knowledge of the history, of the this matter may be noticed here. It ap-girls, who are members of a family of nine peared strange that O’Key should noticechildren; for it is to be remembered that the during "somuambulism," when her facul-more obvious ptoofs of sleep, namely, the ties seem to be excessively keen, that thisgeneral appearance, the condition of the girl was practising deception, and that sheeyes, the immobility of feature and limb should not announce the shamming of Ross.during the infliction of pain, may all be fal- At a visit on the 6th instant, to watch thelacious. Illustrations of this have recently general conduct of the two sisters, webeen fully supplied in the hospital. Some questioned her on the sources of her suspi-patients were detected in the simulation of cion. She was, on this occasion, in her na-somnambulism, a few days since, after hav- tural state, perfectly sane, and apparentlyingresisted numerous severe tests of pain, unconscious of her denouncement of the- adding a new page to the chapter of pre- girl, and of the measures to expose hercautions against being deceived by the which we shall above describe her as hav-simulation of morbid states. One of these ing employed during somnambulism. Beingpatients, a woman (A. Ross) had, at her own utade aware that she had impeached therequest (being taken at her word), two teeth girl, she said she had had reason to believedrawn, during periods of assumed sleep, her to be very artful, having detected her inwithout, as we were informed, presenting many falsehoods, but as it was " no busi-the slightest indication of suffering under ness of hers " she had not mentioned it toeither operation. This woman confessed, any one. The kind of untruths she couldat last, to Dr. Elliotson, on being charged not recollect exactly, as 11 they were," shewith imposition, that the sleep was a decep- said mostly frivolous nonsense, but stilltion. The reality of the attacks of epilepsy they showed her artfulness." "But howfor which she was admitted, were not ques- did you know them to be falsehoods?"-tioned. We did not ourselves at any time " Because," she replied, "she generallychance to sec her in the affected somnambu- forgot one day what she had told me on an-lism. She ultimately began to affect deli- other."—"Try to remember one thing, forrium, and by the shallowness of the trick instance ?’ = I told her one morning thatexposed the whole. Another patient was she ought not to put her bed-gown over hera giri who imitated the stuiden sleep of clothes when she first got up, because itO’Key, but who never fell, in reply to a was a dirty habit, but should wear a pina-pass, in a manner that could hurt her, yet fore. She said that she had none here, butTtho, when down, would stifler so many plenty at home. Next day I reminded hersmart shocks of pain without flinching, to send for one, and then she told me thatthat however strong the belief in her decep- she had got none, either in the hospital or

tion, actual proof of it could not be obtained at home. I used often to have to say tofrom that test. We happened to see the imi- her, What is the use of your coming to telltations of this girl only on one occasion, and me such untruths?"-« Did you not suspectthen during a singular scene, when, although Ann Ross ?’ = No, for I seldom heard herthe girl would not exhibit a sense of pain, talk, she was so quiet and reserved. Ithe shamming of sleep became quite appa- should never have thought of such a thingrent by the placing what she believed to be in her." When in delirium, O’Key did notthe foul end of a glyster-pipe in her mouth. appear to suspect Bentley of feigning, thoughShe at once opened hereyes and arose, though she evidently had no respect for her. but

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tion could be discovered, she said she would kind of thing with water was repeated,tell on the next day, the 27th of June. with several variations, trial being made byOn the 27th, being present to witness the spectators, on each occasion, to test

some further experiments, that condition of the sleep, but without elicitingauyevidencesomnambulism occurred in which Elizabeth of the fiction. O’Key, being asked if it wasO’Key answers questions,*’ and it was sug- not real, frowned a reply, and on the girlgested that she would probably now say again going to sleep, poured the water, firstwhat proceeding she had to recommend re- on her head, then with an unsuccessful in.specting the supposed imposition. The re- tention that it should enter her nose, and,quest was answered by an intimation of finally, into her ear, when the girl aroused,compliance, and the following illustration of said the water was 14 in her ear," and beganone variety of the insanity which is pro- to cry, but protested that she really haddncihle in this singular person, was wit- been asleep. O’Key shook her head, andnessed. exclaimed in a furious voice "It won’t do!"

Having hesitated in somnambulism, for a Being asked what else she would attempt,short time, slowly vibrating like one without she filled three wine glasses to the brim,sight, doubting what direction to take, and and gave them to as many persons, intima.

refusing several things which were present- ting that she should drink at intervals fromed to her, as not being the objects that she each. Thegirl dropped her head on tastingsought, she took a mug from the table and the first. O’Key frowned intensely, andproceeded to another apartment to refill it ultimately took all three glasses in her leftwith water. On returning she poured water hand, moving it about so levelly, however,into a tumbler,and put a chip of stick, taken as not to spill a drop from either glass dur.from the table, into each, performing other ing a long interval. She made the girl drinktrifling manoeuvres, of which no meaning from each, and at the last appearance ofcould be conjectured. She then turned sleep, losing all patience, she thunderedabout in search of the girl, saying, " I want forth " Arise,or I’ll limb you ! Do you hearher." Being brought into the room she me? Get up! I say; up! or I’ll surelypresented her the glass to drink. Having limb you ! You asleep, indeed!" But thecomplied, Bentley immediately fell on the girl would not move until she had beenfloor, as though asleep. O’Key took her blown upon, and then, on being questioned,hand, and the girl being " awoke," the same declared that "she was asleep, and did not

hear O’Key," who raised her band as ifmimicked, played all kinds of tricks with astonished and hopeless, a large tear rollingher, and treated her as a kind of idiot. But from one of her eyes. On being urged to

when passed from delirium into stnpor, try further, the girl having again affectedO’Key had a vivid sense of the imposition. sleep, she went on one knee, took the girl’sHere were three distinct states of mental re- foot in her hand, and held it for some time;cognition and proceedings respecting one she then pointed her fingers towards theand the same person, and, moreover, to ad- girl’s hand, and subsequently seized it,vert to the object with which this note was shortly after which she herself fell asleep,’commenced, we would point out that al- and on awaking into delirium evinced greatthough there is complete ignorance during astonishment at the "mess" around her,the natural state of what is done in deli- the slopping of water, &c., and laughedrium, and somnambulism, yet that the snrne vehemently at the girl’s position on thesense of the aolfulness which was entertained floor, dancing around her, with many humor-during the sanity, was fully entertained, and ous remarks. Being stupified, and askedyet more fully manifested, during the som again to proceed, she made "transversenambulism. Among such circumstances as passes" before the girl, who once more

these, patient investigators may hope to find dropped, when O’Key, exclaiming Get up,a key to the mystery that envelops the mor- you wicked thing ?" bodily lifted her into abid phenomena under consideration. chair. The girl was now much alarmed,

* In this condition the eyes of Elizabeth and said that 11 that was enough," that sheO’Key are generally one-third open ; the " would stop no longer," but " go home."axes are directed inwardly, with an abstract- Yet at the very next pass she went instantlyed look, as though notused for vision. In the into the same condition. -

corresponding condition in Jane O’Key the O’Key, you must be wrong. Does shelids are always closed, and we have wit- still deceive?" she was asked. She frowned,nessed a continuation of the proceedings of and proceeded to threaten the girl, with theElizabeth while in this state, with a cover- most terrific gestures that she could devise,ing placed over her eyes, and the fingers pressed on the lids ; but she can undoubtedly * On being asked, during somnambulism,Mse them when not thus covered, as two in- at the close of the proceedings, why shecidents have indicated to us. On one of held the foot, she said, "to burn it;" andthese occasions she stooped, on crossing the why the hand, " to burn that, because thereBoor, to pick up a penknife, which she was something on the foot (the shoe), andwanted, that was for a moment laid there, the girl could not feel the heat."

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but in vain, the girl still persisting in drop- Iping, as if asleep, on a pass being made he- Ifore her. The eyes, countenance, and posi-tions of the somnambulist, otherwise a dimi-nutive and insignificant-looking personage,presented at this stage the most strikingcharacters, inviting comparisons with thoseof the finest tragic actress, as she paused infierce contemplation of the crouching objectbefore her, which she seemed to regard asthough its instant annihilation was withinher power. But her actions, exceptingthrowing the water, and once seizing the

girl determinately by the hair, did not pro-ceed beyond a show of violence. At anyof these moments it was found that shecould be instantly comatised, and again re-stored to the jocose delirium, and subse-quently to the serious insanity.The efforts to make the girl confess were

now clearly enough quite vain, and conse-quently ceased. The deception had beenmanifested, but to quell the obstinacy washopeless. The girl had involuntarily avowedthe feigning. She had appealed for a cessa-tion of it a second time in these words,"I won’t have any more of that. Oh pray,O’Key, don’t do so again. Oh, Dr. Elliot-son, do wake her. I can’t bear it. I won’tdo so any more. I’ll go home. I’ll not stophere another day. Pray wake her," thoughthe moment after quiet was obtained, theold proceeding followed any attempt to

"magnetise" her. On being asked, subse-quently, what she regarded as a proof of theimposition, she said that the girl went tc

sleep when the water was not mesmerisedas well as when it was, but which libations she regarded as being mesmerisedcould not be ascertained.

On the day of the foregoing occurrences(June 27) experiments were again tried with"magnetised" water, but the trials, whilethey sometimes verified the prognostications,at others failed. The girl (E. O’Key) wassleepy and listless, and it was while drinkingin one of the experiments that she fell intothe state in which the above scene was

enacted. While asleep, after one of thetrials, Dr. Elliotson tried the effect oftouching various parts with « magnetised"water. When a drop was placed above theclavicle, convulsions of the part ensued.When on the eyelids, they quivered. Whenon the brows the scalp was wrinkled upand down. When over the upper lip, andon one ala of the nose, those parts severallyquivered. On the lobe of the ear no effectwas produced. Placed on the foot, thatmember was agitated. On the back of thehand, the extensors of the fingers acted.On the flexors, they bent.On the 5th of July a new phenomenon

was presented to us, partaking yet more ofthe marvellous than any which had pre-ceded it. Un this occasion the girl appa-

rently put into action one of the perceptiveorgans of the brain, that of sight, throughthe medium of the hand, during sleep, theeyes being closed and covered. She em-

ployed the back of the hand to execute thepurposes of vision. But as this proceedingtook place again on the 9th instant, in thepresence of the Surgeon-General of Ireland

’

Mr. Crampton, and several other gentlemen,who patiently investigated various pheno-i mena in Elizabeth O’Key, during two hoursand a half, we defer reporting the eventsuntil an account of this last-mentionedsitting ran hf ...ivpn.

It is perfectly true that a Committee,composed of members belonging to the

Physiological Committee of the Royal So-ciety, are investigating the somnambulismof Elizabeth and Jane O’Key. Amongstits members are,-Professor Grant, Dr.

Neil Arnott, Mr. Kiernan, Professor Wheat-stone, Mr. Richard Owen, Dr. Bostock, andDr. Roget. We have been informed thatthe opinion of these gentlemen has been

unequivocally pronounced in favour of thereality of the coma and the somnambulism.The oninion of the Sur2:eon-General of Ire-

land, Mr. Crampton, also, after two investi-gations, on the 7th and 9th of July, occupy-ing each nearly three hours, into phenomenaexhibited by Elizabeth O’Key, has beenpronounced in favour of the perfect honestyof the somnambulist, and the reality of theextraordinary events which occurred onthose occasions.

DISEASES OF THE BRAIN.

Ar a recent meeting of medical practi-tioners in the North of England, Dr. Jones,of Chester, is stated in a report of the pro-ceedings in the local journal, to have read" an account of two cases, one, of atrophyof the brain, which was diminished in sizeto a considerable extent, the vacant spacewithin the cranium being filled up by serum,and the brain itself hardened to the consist-ence of cheese ; but notwithstanding suchextensive disorganisation, the intellectualfaculties and motive powers were but

slightly affected." The other case was one in which the

patient laid in bed for three years, in a stateof mere organic existence,-the intellectualfaculties, the external senses, and the

powers of motion, being wholly destroyed,except some remains of sensibility in thelips. In this state the patient continued,being regularly fed, and all the organicfunctions being naturally performed. Atthe expiration of this time he was observedto become thinner, and in a short time was