Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-04-02
MEMORY WHILE DROWNING.

MEMORY WHILE DROWNING
Ono Of the most singular features
in Psychology, is the fact which is
perfectly notorious, that the faculty. Of
memory acquires an activity and te.
nacity, in the case of persons about
being drowned, which it never exhib-
its under ordinary circumstances. An
accident occurred some weeks since
at New York, which threw number
of persons into the North River. A.
mong others were Mr.. and his
sister; the first named, editor of a
weekly paper, in Philadelphia. They
were both finally saved. Mr.. -
describes tho sensation while under
the water, and in drowning condition
to be pleasant butpeculiar. ltseem-
ed to him that every event in hB life
crowded in his mind a, once. He was
sensible of what was occurring, and
expected to drown, but seemed only
to regret that such an interesting item
as his sensations would make, should
be lost.
In noticing this statement in an ex-
change, | am reminded of an incident
which, dissimilar as it is to the one
Just narrated, in its general features
had the same remarkable awakening
of the memory, which such cases
sometimes exhibit. l can vouch for
the truth of what follows, as well as
testify to vivid recollections in my
own case, when exposed to the has-
ards of drowning, reproducing in d
few moments the events of my entire
past life.
Some years since, A held bond of
B. for several hundred dollars, having
some time to run. At its maturity
he found that he had put it away so
carefully that he was unable to findi;.
Every search was fruitlcss. He only
knew i, had not been paid or traded
away. In this dilemma he called on
B., related the circumstance of its dis
appearance, and proposed giving him
q receipt as an Offset to the bond, or
an indemnifying bond against its COL
lection, if ever found.-To his great
B. not only refused to ac-
cept the terms of meeting the difficult
ty. but positively denied owing him
and strongly intimated the
presence of fraudulent design on tho
part of A. Without legal proof and
therefore without redress, he had to
endure both the loss Of his money,
and the suspicion Of dishonorable
intention in urging the claim. Sever
al years past away without any change
in the nature Of the case, or its facts
as above given. when one afternoon
while bathing in the James River, A.
either from inubility to swim, or cramp
or some other cause, was discovered
to be drowning. He had sunk and
risen several times, and was floating
away under the water, when he was
seized and drawn to the shore.-The
usual remedies were applied to resus-
citate him, and though there were
signs of life, there was no appearance
of consciousness. He was taken
home in state of complete exhaus-
ton, and remained so for some days.
On the first return ofstrength to walk
he left his bed, went TO his bookcase,
took a book, opened it, and handed
his long lost bond to friend who was
present. He then informed him that
when drowning, and sinking, as he
supposed, to rise no more, in mo-
ment, there stood out distinctly before
his mind as picture, every act Of his
life, from tho hour of childhood to the
hour Of sinking beneath the water,
and among them the circumstance of
his putting the bond in book, the
book itself, and the place in which he
had put it in the book case. 1t is
needless to say that he recovered 'his
own with usury.'
There is no doubt that this remark
able quickening of memory results
from the process which in such cases
is going on-the extinguishmcnt of
life. is somewhat analogous to the
breaking in of the light of another
world. which in SO manywell attested
cases of death-bead scenes, enables
the departing spirit, even before it
has absolutely left its clay tenement
to behold and exult in the glories of
the future state. Is it not fair infer
ence, that when the soul shakes off
the clogs and membranes of the,
body, it will possess capacities for en-
joyment, of which, on earth it was
unsusceptiblc.
AS regards the memory, it will be
observed by most persons. how readi-
ly in life we forget that which we do
not desire to remember, and in this
way, get rid Of much unhappiness.
Can pe do this, after dcatha This is
an important practical question:
WALKING TABLEs.-The Philadelphia
mr. I~.aJ h,, Mrs Mplinda