Daily globe., 1882-09-10
MEMUKY.
some Queer Freaks that Disease
Plays with 8an-s EntelIigence.


Plays with Man's Intelligence.
1t was pointed out long ago by psy-
biologists that memory is a tWo-fold
process, comprising a conservation and
reproduction. 1t is the object of this
treatise to show that the first of these
processes, conservation, depends espe-
cially upon the physiological function
of nutrition, while the second, reproduc-
ion, is dependent upon general or local
circulation. The power of conservatism
presupposes q primary condition that
may be vaguely described as normal
constitution OF the brain. Idiots are
he subjects Of congenital amnesia, that
rs to say, of an innate inability to fix
Impressions. Again, fatigue In any
foim, superinducing as it does an abnor-
NAL cerebral condition, is detrimental,
and sometimes fatal, to memory. Ex-
plicit testimony on this point is supplied
by the experience of Sir Fl. Holland,
who descended, on the same day, two
very deep mines IN the Hartz mountains.
remaining under ground some hours III
each. He tells US Us that while in the
second mine, and exhausted both from
fatigue and inanition, he found it utterly
Impossible TO talklonger with the German
Inspector who accompanied him; every
German word and phrase deserted his
recollection, and it was not until he had
taken food and wine and had been some
time at rest that he regained them.
The cases where that amnesia has been
observed to follow cerebral shock are also
explained by most psychologists as re-
suiting from detective nutrition. It has
been noted by Mr.. Spencer that highly
nervous subjects, IN whom the action of
the heart is greatly lowered, habitualiY
complain of loss of memory, q symptom
which diminishes as fast as the natural
rate of circulation is regained. Again.
in fevers where the rapidity of the cir
culation is excessive, the reproductive
faculty is often raised to high point Of
axcitation, the most remote and trivial
impressions being easily recalled. Ex-
altation Of the memory ensues also
when the circulation is increased by
stimulants, such rs opium. De Quincy
tells us that under the influence of this
drug he sometimes seemed to live for
seventy or hundred years IN one night,
the minutest incidents of childhood, or
forgotten scenes OF later years, being
wildly reproduced. On the other hand.
bromide potassium, which, taken IN
large doses, retards the circulation, pro-
duces amnesia the case Is cited of q
Clergyman who was obliged to discon-
tinue the use of it, having very nearly
lost his memory. which returned when
he ceased to take the medicine.
There are cases of temporary amnesia
OF q destructive character which seem to
be only explicable upon the theory that
the group of cells IN which particular
impressions were recorded have been de-
5troyed Or totally transformed. In such
instances it is not the reproductive fac
ulty which is enfeebled, but there is an
actual loss of conservation something
which once existed IN the memory. and
formed an important part of its capital,
has disappeared. Among the cases OF
incTlrable partial amnesia where the loss
was absolute, and complete re-education
was necessary, is that OF young married
woman. who was seized during confne-
ment wlth prolonged syncope, at the
end OF which she failed to recoIlect anv
of the events which had occurred since
her marriage, inclusive Of that ceremony.
She never recovered recollection of this
period of her life, and although she ac-
cepted, on the testimony of her friends.
the fact that she was married and had q
son, she was never able to realize how
she gained husband and gave birth to
a child. Another interesting instance
is reported by Prot. William Sharpey.
The patient was young married woman,
who for about six weeks remained In q
continuous state OF somnolence. Upon
her recovery from the torpor the record
Of her previous requirements seems TO
have been completely expunged from the
cerebral cells, and she had to be COM
pletely re-educated, it being requisite,
for example, IN teaching her TO read, to
begin with the alphabet. About this
and some analogous cases, however.
there is an element OF obscu-itv. for the
process Of re-education only re-
quires but few months, which
seems to justify the infe,, l4t the
old cerebral records were I.er faint
than extinct But the explanation of
such temporary periods of oblivion re-
mains one of the unsolved problems of
cerebral pathology.