The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-04-16
CURI0sITIES OF nEuORY.

Memory" says recent writer on men.
tai physiology, ais the organic registra-
ton of the effects Of Impressions" This
definition has, at all events, the merit of
greatly extending the ordinary meaning
of the term. and Of indicating the relations
OF the retentive mental faculty in the sys.
tenn of nature. In this view, every organ
OF plant or animal has . memory. The
Topped tree, the wounded limb, the face
marked by the virus of the smallpox, all
have a memory, and one as retentive q
that of the brain-cells, to the record of
whose marvelously- delicate modifica-
tioRs we generally, and properly enough,
limit the name. The characters In which
all organic changes are written may be
said to be indelible. The scar of deep
wound, though 1t may become less
marked with age, is never effaced. SINH
larly, in brain not disorganized by in
. jury or disease, the records of memory
are stereotyped. To recall them to con-
seriousness may be wholly beyond our
power; we may think that they are lost to
us forever, till something occurs to alter
to an inappreciable degree the minute
nerve cells, and thus to tear of the veil
which hid from US the thoughts and
eveats Of the past. go .....
( 1t is we'll known that in the agony of
drowning the veil is sometimes stripped
off the tablets of memory, and the in
scriptions again made legible to con-
seriousness. In the following case, mar.
rated by Oliver Wendell Holmes, the re.
vival Of the impression led 10 very prac-
teal result: A. held q bond against
B. for several hundred dollars. When it
became due, he searched for it. but could
not find it. He told the facts to B., who
denied having given the bond, and, init
mated fraudulent design. ON the part of
A., who was compelled to submit to the
loss and the charge against him. Years
afterward, B. was bathing in Charles
River, when he was seized with cramp
and nearly drowned. On coming to his
senses he went to his bookcase, took out
out the missing bond. In the sudden
picture of his entire life the putting the
bond in the book, and the book In the
bookcase, had been wildly represented,
Ones feelings of justice are only partly
satisfied by learning that the bond was
paid with interest. In case mentioned
by DR.. Abercrombie, it would be difficult
to give any feasible explanation of the
revival OF the impression, unless on the
Hibernian assumption that person may
remember what he never knew. A boy,
at the age of four, received fracture Of
the skull, for which he underwent the
operation of trepan. He was at the time
in state of perfect stupor, and. after re.
covery retained no recollection; either of
the accident or the operation. At the
age of fifteen, during the delirium of Q
fever, he gave his mother . correct de-
scription Of the operation and the per-
sons present at it, with their dress, and
other minute particulars. He had never
alluded to it before, and no means were
known by which he could have acquired
knowledge of the circumstances.
The foregoing are examples of exalta-
ton of memory under the conditions Of
injury or disease affecting the organ of
thought But these reproductions Of the
long-vanished forms Of the past not in
frequently take place in perfect health.
In many cases, the only taing wanted to
revive an impression 10 some link OF
association, either Of place or circum-
stance. The story of yeung Montague,
whom chimney-sweep had stolen, and
whose aristocratic birth was ct last dis
covered by his recognizing his old nurs
ery-room, into which he had descended
is an illustration true to nature Of the
recurrence of former impressions from
0SoON16SAOuS Va pI0C0s a VSIy SG1IklU&
instance Of the revival Of an early inn.
preston, to all appearance wholly ooliter.
ated from the memory, through the DER
son being placed in the situation which
originally gave it birth, Is mentioned BY
DR.. Haslam. A lady taken to the country
in the last stage of an incurable disorder
requested that her youngest child, . girl
about four years OF age, might be sent
for to visit her, which was accOfdingly
DINE. The child remained with lei
mother about three days. and 4&hen re
turned to town. She grew up without
any trace or recollection Of the visit, or OF
her mother, or Of the name Of the village
in which she had last seen her. After
growing up to majority, she had occasion,
selong with DR.. Haslam, who had attended
her mother in her last illness, to visit
the house in which her mother died
without knowing is TO- have been cd
On entering the room where has
mother had been .conlned,v her ete
anxiously traversed the apartment and
she said: II have been here before
the prospect from the window ID quit
familiar to me, and remember that II
this part of the room there was bed, and
sick lady, who kissed me, md went .
An illustration from the realm Of fiction
will occur to theFeedsr,in 1heeaDsofasy
Mannering. Hh-fyemn % the eee1ee q
his childhood aW1ke0S TAM 6ffem1KiS
cences which ccnduce to the development
of his history and legitimate claims. But
there are other associations equally pow
erful with those Of locality TO awaken
the long dormant forms Of the past A
Continent was disbanded In York. 0h
RO1ovf G1avfnn fur~aA <,s,A A1.a na6a1 ho~.aa