The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-02-05
The Loss Of Memory Through shock.


thought and absolute insensibility are.
of course, the common symptoms ac-
companying shock, varying with its
amount; and moments, hours, days,
weeks, or even months of blank follow
upon jar of the brain, according to the
degree of disturbance to which it may
have been subjected. These are ordin-
ary phenomena; but while it has been
common to note the time at which the
patient comes to himself and memory
resumes its action, it is not so general to
inquire as to what particular moment
recollection vanished. / think we are
generally content to date this from the
time when the injury was received, and
yet, under some circumstances, it will
be found that there HIS been quite an
appreciable period antecedent to this. OF
which all record has been wiped from
the brain; and this fact may be of i'm
portance in several ways. Several
cases in my experience, illustrating the
truth of the proposition laid down, hap
pening in swift succession, induces me
to make record OF them.
|. A gentleman returning to his home
one night went first to the front door to
get in, but this being locked he went
round the house to the back door. Along
side of this entrance were steep steps
leading to IN open basement, and, the
night being very dark, he missed his
way and fell into it, distance of eight
feet. When found, supposedly within a
half hour atterward, he was completely
unconscious, and upon examination it
was discovered he had a scalp wound on
the back of his head down to the bone,
which was unbroken. He was restored
to consciousness in few hours, and the
next morning was wholly cognizant of
passing events, and several days later
was about as usual. He retained no
memory whatever of his fall, al recol-
lection ceasing at the time when he
turned away from his front door to go
around the house, though after this he
had to traverse distance of hun
dred feet to reach the point where he
fell.
9. Two weeks since l attended a gen.
tleman who had fallen through hatch
way of warehouse, distance Of nine
feet, into cellar. He had a rib broken
and deep wound in his chin. Within
a half hour after his fall he was removed
to carriage. assisting somewhat those
who were helping him. He had great
confusion of thought for several hours
afterward, asking continually where he
etc. He had sharp surgical fever, an
abscess developing in his jaw; but after
| the first thirty-siX hours his intelligence
was completely restored. He had nc
recollection of his accident. All that he
remembered was that he and his brothe
| had entered the warehouse together al
| dark that he had sat down by the stove
near the front door, and his brother haC
| gone back some distance to the count
| ing-room; that when he had warmed
| himself he rose to follow him. The
rest was blank. From the stove to the
hatcbway was n distance of thirty feet
3. A boy five years of age was in th,
habit of climbing out upon window
sill, for which his mother had punished
him. Entering the room one day sh
saw him again in his perilous situation
Afraid to alarm him by speaking to him
she ran below to warn him back and t.
catch him in case he should fall. Sh'
was too late, however, finding him lyins
insensible on the pavement from Il fal
of Il dozen feet. The injury sustained
was apparently fracture Mt the base 0
the skull, hemorrhage and serous dis
charge coming from his ears. He re
covered, however, and his conscious
ness returned in forty-eight hours. Hi
ACCOUNT 10 HIS HnOIleT Ol Ills Hi WIS
81 wasn't bad, mamma. got out ol
the window, but got back before an
one told me-"
The comments have to make on tn
cases narrated shall be brief. They are
First-That the point at which mem
ory leaves one in injuries accompanie
by great shock seems to be at the recor
of the last prominent idea. In the fir.
case the walk around the hous wa
monotonous, and the gentleman was II
doubt all the while occupied with tn
circumstances connected with his nc
getting in his front door, as he had q
first intended. In case second tn
prominent idea ot the man was in leay
ing the comfortable stove to join HI
brother. In case third it was til
mothers Injunction.
Second-The points noted seem to e.
tablish the fact of enthanasia in cases {
violent death, not only to actual pal
inflicted by the injury, but rs to the al
ticipation of the horrible event.-R. {
CO,olinq, M. d., in Medical Practitione,