New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-26
THE LETTER.
To the Ediior Of The Tribune.


occurred I'm the western part OF Pennsylvania little
less than two years ago The sufferer Is the Rev Mar
clls OrmOnd. an uncle OF the writer aud minister I'D
the United Presbyterian Church. He was born IN WASH
ington County, Penn and after receiving the regular
COLLEGIATE and professional training entered on the du
ties OF the ministry abOnt twenty years ago. He was
man or fne classical attainments and an effective
speaker and soon became prominent among his minis
teraI brethren In the Autumn OF 1876 he started out
hy appointment occurring tour through the state IN
behalf OF Local Option and Constitutional Reform In
this work he WAS engaged constantly until the Spring Of
1873 trayersiDg the State and speaking almost daily
in the Spring OF 70 returned to his home in West AL
exander, PENN find that his property, including
valuao ole library aud his MS. sermons had been de-
stroyed by fire. and his family left homeless. The shock
OF this calamity coming upon him III HE state oil mental
exhaustion too much for his constitution and ne
was struck down with paralysis of the BRAIN H. be-
came wholly unconscious. and continued in this coma
tose state for upward W two months. during which
time wasted away ind raging lever until ne was
reduced in weight from abont 225 pounds TO $50. HIS
physicians paired OF his life, but mis- naturally Wig
orus fought the inch by inch, and
one day MAY he struggled back into dreamy
consciousness and toterng TO the window of his ROOM
looked out The fruit in full blOOm and no
SAYS "The first thug remember clearly was the peach
blossoms outside my window. The sight OF the peach
blossoms my first clear perception and AFTER that
my past life came my mind Ike dash OF hight
knew that my house had been burned down an could
see the ruins my window remembered the events
that had preceded my sickness UP to the moment was
stricken down knew that had been III and WAS per-
fecy cognizant of my identity" He began to recover
RAPIDLY from his weak and mciated condition. and II
was ualy short time until he was almost as heshy as
ever. His attendant physician began TO apprehend
another stroke OF paralysis and in order 10 reduce his
size prescribed strict regime OF walking and lgh diet
| Accordingly BE began walk and to eat sparingly,
and after gaining sufficient strength filled his satcbe
with books and started out on long pedestrian tours
disposIng enough OF the books By the way to pay bis
travelling expenses. THIS vigorous course hnd the de-
sired effect and now after about year Of pedestrian
exercise he weighs about 40 pounds. enjoys splendid
physical health. and can walk forty miles day.
MENTAL HISTORY.
come now to tue angular part Of my uncle's history
Wncn ne awoke from his comatose state bis mind Was
IN very peculiar cOnditsn. "My memory" he says
twas not blank. On the contrary. II was in MANY
respects as But there were large blank
tracts I'm H. | know NY family well enough, but could
not name them and when their names were repeated
TO INC could not retain them, hut would either FORGET
them altogether get them mixed up-caliing Jennie
Maggie or Minnie, Flora. Even yet have some dini
Guilty to get their names right" At nrst he could
neither tai read lie did not know even the
alphabet bur was forced begin to learn 1t like
Young child His wife began 10 teach HIM The alphabet
but It was a slow process u month before he
could retain the name 81 single letter HIS wife would
repeat the name the letter requiring him 20 repeat
IL alter her. aud this process would have TO be con
unued until by diut OF repetition an association
had been formed between the form Of the letter and s
name. In THIS manner the alphabet was finally mas
tered He then began spell slowly aud painful y, and
AT length became able 10 read little. At present be Is
able read with some difficulty short and
easy passages OF Scripture. but this Il due IN
a large degree 20 famary with the train OF thought
He 4 deeply interested IN The events Of the day,
f.F. furtf rI Hf
he took an interest before his illness But he IS unable
70 read the newspapers be cannot master the unhi-
miar arrangement % the word, nor can he make ont
the words themsclvcs owing To their uniamiar sur
roundings But on glancng over paragraph lac Is
able 90 recognize word here aud there sufficient 10
enable him to divine what II Is about. lie will then AXE
the paper his wife and ask her to read tnis article
about Grant or Whatever the subject may be- lie On
counters the greatest difficulty Ia the spelling ~ words.
He can name leuers forming VOID separately, aud
can give the sound OF each but - unable 10 combine The
sounds so a. TO form word. Could be overcome tins
difficulty am convinced that be would be able to read
without much trouble. lie began write IN the
painful way. His wife would form single letter on
STATE piece % paper and he would copy 1t repeat
cdy until he had mastered II. THIS process
timed ultl be master OF oil the written charac
! ters but when he came TO form words he fell INTO
trouble. lie could copy word winch had boon written
down. aud could write a wortcoucctlv nit spelled
orally in his hearing bat left 10 himself lac would
spell the simplest words. putting IN wrong letters or
transposing letters ont OF their true order lie
overcome this difficulty fur rs to be able to write easy
and familiar words
His experience IN learning 10 speak was not unlike
that passed through in Recognizing the lost OF
reading and writing. lie at nr5t almost literally
speechlcss, being able to articuate only "A few very
familiar and simple words. From n fluent Speaker
with a wide command over language, lac was reduced
TO the condition OF a child just beginning speak. He
had forgotten the great mass OF words with wnch lie
mad familiar, but even the few when ne retained
In his memory ne WAS unable To ariicuate When
word came into his mind or was spoken IN MS hearing
he would Try 10 pronounce IT, ana altcr series OF
tentative efforts would finally succeed The difficulty
10 be overcome. however. not defect IN the vocal
organs but he had simply forgotten how TO aTuculatc
and mad 10 begin 10 re-acqure the art ike yOung
Guild who had never learned TO speak. His experience
learning to speak read and write has thus far
sembrd IN all essential respects that Of young child
II will appear from the foregoing that my uncle has
lost all thathe once acquired by study IN short all that
a. Technically called education. He good class
Teal scholar, and fluent and convincing speaker,
all acquisition Of years OF painful discipline became
a blank in moment. All That he has thus far Tegancd
OF IL has acquired step by step by patient labor
He had been active minister for twenty years
had great number OF sermons stored away in bls
memory. But when became conscious after my N
ness" he says. they were all gone. ont or them al
able TO recall no more than single text, Behold
| the Lamb OF God which taketh away the sin of the
| memory is not "A total blank lie Is dlmy CONSCIOUS OF
them and though unable to recal them he feels that
hrnugbt before his ind Tue reproduction faculty
| seems 10 be chiefly NJ fault mere
LOSS OF MEMORY ONLY PARTIAL.
Inow come 10 very strange feature OF unce's his
tory He has lost all he had acquired by what Is tech
pically called study but the contrary all or
most OF what had acquired by the general
his faculties lie knows and recognizes most OF the per
SONS and places with which he has been acquainted
Is perfectly cognizaut OF all the leading Of his
| past life know from personal observation that his
memory Is as sound in this respect rs 1t was before his
Illness The link that binds the past to the present ap
pears TO as bright and strong ever. There In
absolute break IN his consciousness but large
of II seems TO have dropped out entirely. How a man
can thus lose the fruits OF the special cultivation OF his