Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1869-01-21
JANUARY 81, 1869
From the New York Evening POST
A SINGULAR STORY.

The New Orleans papers report the
case of young man in that city who
fell from a seaffold four months ago,
and received injuries of nature so Sc
rious that the physicians supposed that
he would die in few hours. By skill
full treatment he has been completely
restored in physical health; without,
however, recovering his original mental
faculties.
For a5period of one month his mind
was complete blank. At the end of
seven weeks he had recovered the use
of his tongue, and was restored to COM
plete consciousness, "but it was soon
discovered that the recollection of ev-
cry word and idea had been literally
knocked out of his head. During the
last two months, he had learned a num-
Der of words, of names, places, and
things, and can go anywhere in the
city by himself" His new memory
is very good. and his mind strong and
active; though, Notwithstanding his ar
ticulation is perfect, it is at times diff
ticult to teach him words.
This case is, no doubt, Justly regarded
as very extraordinary, though the med
ical books record several instances, we
believe, of persons who have recovered
from injuries to the brain under SINH
lar circumstances, where it is claimed
the physicians have been able to ac-
count satisfactorily for the apparent in-
dependence of the physical organism
from the mental. But if the New Or
leans case is entitled to rank among the
extraordinary incidents of medical prac-
tice, what definition shall be given to
the case of young woman in Brook
lYn who has existed for a number OF
years in a condition that has been
called semi-cataleptic? Yet catalepsy
is net the word, however qualified, to
describe the condition of this person,
because in her case the functions OF
the body are not entirely suspended,
and the mental faculties remain wonder
fully active. 1t is asserted that she
lives on from year to year without re-
quiring morsel of any kind of solid
food.
She has reached the age of twenty
three years, and is almost totally blind.
A correspondent writes us: ''For two
and half years she has eaten no food
of more substance than the juice of a
few grapes at long intervals. AS may
be imagined, long confinement has
wrought for her the reverse of person
al improvement, but her portrait, taken
Just before the first attack of the di-
sease, or whatever it may he called, is
that of a pretty, delicate girl. She lies
on a bed with her arms drawn up, and
in such position that the hands are
above her head. If her vision were
perfect she would not be able to see
her hands conveniently in such po-
sition; but nevertheless, she executes
with perfect facility the most delicate,
intricate and beautiful patterns of en-
broidery, selecting the materials and
the colsrs, and arranging them without
assistance. Though deprived of natu-
raj vision she certainly possesses some
power to produce needle-work that any
lady skilled in the art might be proud
to claim as her own. She excels in The
arrangement of flower bouquets. None
but the most intimate friends are ad-
mitted to the house, except on rare oc-
casions; but it should be remarked
that the case is constantly and mar
rowly watched by several gentlemen of
unimpeachable professional integrity,
who carefully note every new develop
ment in the hope of being able at some
time to detect something that shall af-
ford them clew to the mystery of the
young woman's existence. There is
no single feature of the case that can
be particularized as extraordinary; it
is one of extraordinary combinations.
If a trick was attempted to be prac-
ticed in one instance it would not sue
ceed in all. But there is no motive for
deception; the family take every pre-
caution to shun publicity = nothing
would tempt them to make an exhibit
ton of the case, and it is only because
they intelligently appreciate the great
Importance of the investigation to med
ical science that they are willing to
admit strangers to knowledge of that
which they rightfully consider sacred
to the privacy of the family circle"