The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-01-29
IN Singular storm.

The New Orleans papers report the case
of young man in that city who fell from
a scaffold four months ago, and received in
juries of a nature so serious that the physi-
clans supposed he would die in few hours.
BY skilful treatment he has been complete
ly restored in physical health; without,
however, recovering possession of his origi-
nal mental faculties.
For period of one month his mind was
a complete blank. At the end of seven
weeks he had recovered the use of his
tongue, and was restored to complete con-
seriousness, "but it was soon discovered that
the recollection of every word and idea
had been literally knocked out of his head.
During the last two months he has learned
a number 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,
notwith standing his articulation is perfect,
it is at times difficult to teach him words.
| This case is, no doubt justly, regarded as
very extraordinary, though the medical
books record several instances, we believe,
o. pergons who have recovered from injuries
to the brain under similar circumstances,
where it is claimed the physicians have
been able to account satisfactorily for the
apparent independence of the physical or
ganism from the mental.
! But II the New Orleans case be entitled
to rank among the extraordinary incidents
OF medical practice, what definition shall
be given to the case of young woman in
Brooklyn who has existed for a number of
! years in condition that has been called
semi cataleptic? Yet catalepsy is not the
word, however qualified, to describe the
condition of this person, because in her
case the functions of the body are not en-
tirely suspended, and the mental faculties
remain wonderfully active. 1t is asserted
that she lives on from year to year without
requiring o molsel of any kind of solid
food.
! She has now reached the age of twenty
three years, and is almost totally blind
A correspondent writes US: "For two and
a half years she has eaten no food Of more
substance than the juice of q few grapes
at long intervals. AS may be imagined,
long continent has wrought for her the re.
verse of personal improvement, but her por-
trait, taken just before the first attack OF the
disease, or whatever it may be called is that
OF pretty, delicate girl, She lies on
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 q position; but nevertheless she
executes with perfect facility the most deli
cate, intricate and beautiful patterns of
embroidery, selecting the materials and the
colors, and arranging them without assist
ance. Though deprived of natural vision
she certainly possesses some power to pro-
duce noedle-work that any lady skilled in
the art might be proud to claim as her own
She eXcels in the arrangement of flower bou-
quets. None but the most intimate friends
are admitted to the house, except on rare
occasions; but it should be remarked that
the case is constantly and narrowly watched
by gentlemen ofunimpeachable professional
integrity, who carefully note every new de-
velopment in the hope of being able at
some time to detect something that shall
afford them clew to the mystery of the
young woman's existence. There is no
single feature of the case that can be par
ticularized as extraordinary; it is one of ex-
traordinary combinations. If trick were
attempted to be practised in one instance it
would not succeed in all. But there is no
motive for deception; the family take every
precaution to shun Notwithstanding
would tempt them to make an exhibition
of the case, and it is only because they in
diligently appreciate the great importance
of the Investigation to medical science that
they are willing to admit strangers to O.
knowledge of that which they rightfully
consider sacred to the privacy ofthe family
circle"