The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-01-01
Report OF q Curious and Interesting
Case In Belmont County, Ohio.

vile. Ohio, has contributed to the
Hospital Gazette the following account
of a curious case of loss of personal
identity, the victim being now under
his care in the county infirmary in that
town:
81 have had under my care, as
physician for our county infirmary, a
very interesting case. There is no dis
coverable bodily disease, but very
peculiar mental state. The patient
has lost all knowledge of his personal
identity; does not know who he is,
where he came from, or whittier he was
going. He became an inmate of our
infirmary about nine months since.
The following is his history since taken
in charge by our county officials. All
previous to that is a blank to himself
and entirely unknown to us.
"AbOut the time referred to, nine
months since, he found himself stand
ing upon the depot platform in Bellaire
City, with little money in his pocket
and small travelling bag in his hand.
This bag contained a change of linen,
a pair of scissors and some blank
paper, like that used by editors. His
clothes were quite genteel, and the un-
derwear in his valise was neat and
clean. His entire appearance was that
of well-cared-for gentleman ready
for business. There was no name on
any property about him indicating who
he was, except on some part of his ef-
fects was the name Ralph. This is
what he is called in the infirmary.
"After thinking and thinking while
at the depot. he at last went to the
nearest hotel, and gave the landlord a
candid statement of his very strange
condition. He asked for bed, said he
had little money, that he would be NO
trouble, and. that he felt sure this
strange mental sickness would soon
pass off. The landlord became inter-
ested in his case. The same day gen.
tleman came to Bellaire to lecture on
temperance. Stopping at the same no.
tel, he soon made the acquaintance of
Ralph. and invited him to attend the
lecture. While attentively listening,
some impulse came over him which he
could not resist, and he found himself
out in the street smashing the saloon
windows with big club. The roughs
ran out, beat and abused him badly,
breaking the neck of the humerus and
beating one side all black and blue.
This brought him into the hands of the
police. But the lecturer, the doctor,
the landlord and Mayor all became in
tested in finding out who he was.
They made every effort. but utterly
failed.
HE certainly is man of more than
the average ability, has had quite an
extensive knowledge of business and is
very expert with the pen. Some think
that he must have been connected with
the press; others clerk in some call
ing in which the use of the pen and
figuring was daily habit. In this way
alone can they explain his great expert
ness. His knowledge is entirely cor
rect upon all matters disconnected with
the question of identity. He has the
use of his mental powers in all other
directions. made him, after having
the best evidence of his fitness, my as
sistant. He has put up all the medi-
cine, etc. ] procured him Parish
Pharmacy and in q remarkably short
time he was able to fill any prescription
1 required, and in many other ways to
assist me.
$50 great is his general knowledge,
and so correct all his recollections OF
general events, and all special duties
imposed upon him, that many were
skeptical, and believed him to be feign-
ing. But after nine months close OBJ
servation we are all forced to believe
that he is what he says-a man with no
knowledge of his personal identity.
He is about fifty years of age; rather
spare; has dark hair, well sprinkled
with gray, and is quite gentleman in
appearance. He has made himself SO
useful, agreeable and SO anxious TO re-
turn all he can for the benefits he has
received, that he was presented with a
new suit of clothes and directed to eat
at the superintendent table. l report
the case both on account of its psyche
logical interest and that possibly it may
lead to his identity"