'Man, just after his birth, is hardly pressed by sleep for several months, after which he becomes more and more wakeful, day by day. The infant dreams from the very first, for it will suddenly awake with every symptom of alarm, and while asleep will imitate the action of sucking. There are some persons, however, who never dream; indeed, we find instances stated, where it has been a fatal sign for a person to dream who has never done so before. Here we find ourselves invited by a grand field of investigation, and one that is full of alleged proofs on both sides of the question, whether, when the mind is at rest in sleep, it has any foreknowledge of the future, or whether this is not altogether fortuitous, as most other things are? If we were to attempt to decide the question by instances quoted, we should find as many on the one side as the other.

'It is pretty generally agreed that dreams, immediately after we have taken wine and food, or when we have just fallen asleep again after waking, have no signification whatever. Indeed, sleep is nothing else than the retiring of the mind into itself. It is quite evident that besides man, horses, dogs, oxen, sheep, and goats have dreams; consequently the same is supposed to be the case with all animals that are viviparous. As to those which are oviparous, it is a matter of uncertainty, though it is equally certain that they do sleep.' - Natural History.