Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-06-27
SINGULAR CASE OF INSANITY,
Caused directfu 6u a fail on The Head.


Caused directly By a fail on the Head
A teacher Of gymnastics f. II from the top Ct
a steep high stair, head f,iemos', pitched upon
his head on s'ohe flonr, whe e he lay for 4
few mnmen's stunned. Next day his physi-
clan, DR.. Hau, Strand, found him in bed, in full
possession Of his senses, and compl lining only
Of ID pain in the head, on which no far her in
Jury could be dctec,rd except few superb iai
excavations. He hsd passed good night, The
pulse and respiration natural, and the
func ions Of the brain were quite unafiected.-
This prosperous stale continued Two nights
and d y, when matters suddenly took DIFF
irrenl iuIn, without any fresh cause, and in the
course of an hour. he lost hi. reason COM
pletely, thai me spoke unnteIiieen,ly, got out OF
bed, insisted on leaving he house, stared hight
before hin, woulG no answer a'y question,
and did every thing confusedly and aurrirdly.
II was impossible 10 fix his artention on any
thing, or rather he wa, constantly, as "a were,
absent in mini. Bloody serum al The same
time issuing from The righi ear. In twenty
four hours more he became speechless, al least
could mai aIliculaie. bui from Time 10 LIME u
in answer to frequently rep ated quts''ons. on
swered yes, without any regard 10 lis me ming
The tongue appeared 10 have lost us voluntary
movements. Beng placed in the warm bath,
~ at first evidently relishrd il; but on buckp'
Of cold water beirg dashed over his h ad, he
scream, d out and sprung Hom The bath, nor
could any enre a'y sub, quently persuade him
to enter il again; nay, whenever II Was talked
Of, in every Other parricular he was completely
unconscious OF what went on around him, he
hcc anne greatly alarmed, aud calling out no.
no! endeayorrd to make his escape.
For ,hr, e days his singular state continued
during which time he never expressed a wan
though he are and drank hen food or drink
was placed brfoIe him He had no sign Of
bodily illness but nevertheless his expression
Of counrrnance was hat of an IDIOT. Al nigh
he slept well al oomposedv; il the day h.
ay PASSIVE in bed like ONE III The deepes, brown
study He allowed himself 10 BE- undressed
wi hout resistance, yet without giving any aid
or 10 br led up and down the room, bu' seemed
to be perfectly passive machinr, and o have
no will Of his own wis ever Lreches, cod
clo'hs, and hli,ters were applied without any
advan,s ge. After this state mad sted tire,
days, fit ofrpirpsy suddenly took place, f"
which he was bled, without any relief, and the
fits REQUIRED frequently FOR three days. Sill
his stupid moDdin"ss continued. A. the en-
Of tina. tims, tarrai eme'ic was ordered on az
count Of some gastric symptoms; AID ate, the
operation Of this remedy, the epilepii, fits b.
came much mildrr. Mex, day Fer ,h. opera
tiou of another emetic, they ceased entirely, and
the patient for tie first in,r attended 10 what
was going on around lin, attempted 10 sp ak,
and dressed himself The rmelic sys EN- was
continued an entire fortnight, so as to, xeie
vomiting tbIee or four times day, and during
this period he recovered entirely, but with tn
following singular phenomena
When he first tried 'ospe ak, although he ey-
identity h I'd an accurate conception Of what be
wished 10 say, he could NOT 6nd the correct ex
preston even single proper word; blu, when
any one spoke the sentence arti:ulaey to him
he repeated j. aud wi b evidrn' satisfaction H.
had exactly the aPpear ance of nerson WHO
struggled Ia make himself understood in d for
egn Language which he spoke hut imperfectly.
In fact he had lost not the power of speech, but
the knowledge, and whA, was very remarkable,
tie language which he formerly spoke mos a.
enly, hr had DOW for got mos, completely. A
Pole BY birth, I've spoke Polish mos, fluenlly be.
fore, and had been in the daily practice Of con-
versing with hiscoun'rymrn in that tongue; bu,
now he understood murh better his German
friends thaa his Polish counirymrn. Muc h less
could he speak Polish, while, nevertheless, he
sp Ike a little German, though not without help.
With the Lain Tongue he seemed still better
acquainted; lhs, is, he had not forgotten il so
entirely. With the Greek il was d,ffrren', he
had forgotten it as completely IS Polish. He
could read Lain or Gre au' hors with whose
works he S formerly acquainted sbur he
could not translate Grerk al all, or Ls,in with.
out aid Every day, however his command OF