Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-06-02
A CEASE" OF NINE.

"CASE" OF MINE.
THE subject of Memory" having been
much discussed lately in connection with
celebrated trial, | propose placing be-
fore my readers case that | had under
my own ken and care for some time. that
may be interesting as an illustration of
Imperfect Memory" US. "Imperfect
knowledge"
was one day called upon to visit pro.
fessionally lady residing not far from
my own house in Bloomsbury; the NAL
ady some common aillnent, influenza or
feverish cold, but accompanied by unu-
sual nervous depression. found my pa
tient woman about thirty to thirty two
years OF age, of nervous temperament and
rather constrained manner A half-sus-
plcious, restless look in her eyes made me
notice her more particularly than | other
wise might have done, and when left the
room the impression that | received was,
that she was woman with STORY
she was dressed in deep mourning,
which made me remark to her sister, who
was taking few instructions from me
concerning my treatment:
I" She has sustained loss, | see, and
the nervous depression attendant ON that
has lowered the vital energies; thus an
otherwise slight cold has fastened itself
rather tightly on her."
"Yes, returned her sister, "she has,
indeed, gone through much lately Per.
haps, as her doctor, you ought to be told
more fully the details of her case; and, in
deed, they may interest you from another
point of view"
We sat down, and l will condense her
narrative as far as possible.
NV natiput Mrs Hammond anI
her husband were returning to England
from the West Indies, where the latter had
some property, when one of those unfor-
tunate collisions between ships occurred,
which, though unhappily so frequent of
late, were then rare. The collision took
place in very rough weather, a high sea
and a boisterous, ftful wind.
A few were saved, among them Mrs
Hammond, but her husband was never
seen again. Her baby, only six months
old, was washed away. ! did not attend
very much to the particulars of the ship
wreck, and all | can be certain of, is, that
Mrs. Hammond, husbandess and child
less, pennless and unconscious, was,
with few others, saved on that fearful
night in one OF the ships boats and taken
on board of another homeward bound yes.
sci OF some sort that came to them soon
after the calamity. Her husbands fam
lily were well off, and when the ship
reached England she proceeded to their
house in London. 1t was at the residence
of her tather.inlaw that | had now seen
the poor lady, just year and half after
her bereavement
'But the strange thing is this" con.
tinued my companion, THAT she does not
fret the least for the child, because all
memory of having had one is gone. When
returning to consciousness, we are told that
she cried piteously for her husband-but
no one expression ever escaped her lips
about the baby, and when naturally we
condoled with her on its loss, she looked
at us as if we had taken leave of our
senses"
Perhaps it is Gods mercy" I said,
reverently. "The double grief might have
upset her reason"
"But has it not already?" asked her sis
ter. "She has as utterly forgotten the
baby's having existed as if-well, as if in
fact it never had"
Are you sure she has really forgotten
it?" | questioned.
"Oh, certainly. She was never particu.
larly fond of children. She was brought
up by an aunt, separate from me and my
brother Frank, very much to herself, and
never took to children of her own age
She used to say she hoped she never
would have any, but when baby came,
then" laughed Miss Dennis, "she made
as great fuss over it as any one; at
least, SO heard, for it was born in
Jamaica"
THE child was certainly drowned ?"
asked.
4" Oh, yes. Out of seven little ones on
board, only one was saved the child of a
poor steerage woman, who was taken
back by the culprit steamer. Although
we sometimes endeavor to rake UP old
memories TO her mind, we do not try her
too much. What would you advise?"
Leaving her with her own sorrow,
unconscious of her other loss" / an.
swered. If the truth ever dawns upon
her, she will the better bear up against its
consequent grief, the more strength of
mind and body can be gathered up now.
Keep her up in every way cheerful looks
about her, and plenty of light, nourish-
ing food"
1t is not madness, is it, doctor?" said
poor Miss Dennis, looking me searching
ly in the face.
"By no means; merely case of sus-
pended memory. The veil may be lifted
any moment, though we could hardly
wish for it." And to myself / said,
How many of us would pray that such
a veil might fall upon our pastr'
Her cold took lis usual course, unat-
tended by any worse symptoms than or
dinary, except for the natural depression
consequent upon her peculiar circum.
stances. Two or three times | led the
way cautiously TO the subject we were in
terested in; / mean her sister and my
self; but the suspicious, restless look in
her eyes became so intense, that 6e-
sisted, quite aware that she would be far
more likely 10 think us INSANE, than
could think her to be so.
In two or three weeks / discontinued
my attendance, with the understanding
between her sister and myself that il any
material change took place in her mental
condition j should be made aware of IT,
Almost year passed by without my hear
ing any more Of her, when one afternoon,
just as had finished a hasty lunch, pre-
paratOry to going my afternoon round -
received a note from Miss Dennis, say
ing how grateful she would be 10 me if |
could look in upon her that afternoon. At
three O'Clock i was at their house, and
found myself once more tete-G-tete with
Miss Dennis.
" We agreed" she commenced, "that
j should let you know anything special
concerning your old patient, and | have
really something very odd TO tell you.
About six moths ago there was some little
hitch in ny sisters money afairs-you
know her husband had some property in