St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-09-01
Loss OF Memory.

Loss OF Memory
Loss Of memory in middle age is
symptom that should never be neglected
or thought light of. Remember. it may
point to incipient softening of the brain,
and other collapse or dementia. I do
not mean to brighten any reader, SO I
purposely italicise the mag. What may
be may not be, and vice versa. The
symptoms Of loss of memory more often
than not are the result of oyer-tiredness,
all undutiful kidney or liver that wants
seeing to. If, coupled with the loss OF
memory, there were occasional attacks
of swimming in the head, sleepiness,
weakness of sight, sensibly diminishing
capability for accustomed work, tits OF
irritabi!ity and lowness of spirits, the
case would, to say the least of it, look
more serious.
The loss Of memory in middle age is
different from that of old age, as far as
my Judgment goes. In the latter stage
of life there is gradual, but to the per-
son himself not always noticeable, de-
cline of the powers of memory. just as
there is in the powers Of strength of
muscle, eyesight and hearing. For a
time at least the old man hardly misses
his ratreating memory, he lives more in
the past than for the present, and
has recollections of by-gone times
the tablets of memory got hard and UNI
impressionable- though he with difficult
ty, if at all, can trace the events of yes
terday A merciful Providence rules it
should be so. And, as said. it is the
same with eyesight and hearing. Is it
Charles Lamb that tells the anecdoteo of
the old man pointing up at the castle
rookery and saying: eft is very strange,
but the crows be.all gone from out there
these many years; butt remember the
time they were thick enough, aye, and
noisy enough, too?" I always thought
that very delightful anecdote, and
sincerely hope that no thoughtless being
man tottering thus pleasantly on the
graves brink, by telling him that as he
spoke the rocks darkened the air, and
made noise enough to awaken-the Seven
Sleepers.
But the loss of memory that points
to disease or ailment Of some kind in
middle age is generally transient and
periodic. The patient can remember
or recollect well enough sometimes, not
SO well atEsthers; memory is brighter
with him of q morning, or after a
period of rest, than when working or
when tired. Some people while speak
ing fail suddenly for the loss of a word
men who have once been brilliant
orators -others while writing suddenly
stagger at the photography of a word
with which they really are familiar, or.
substitute one letter of similar sound
for another, ..b'' for .sp," for in
stance, or cd for st. Either of
the above may all at once forget the
name Of person with whom they are
intimately acquainted or their
own cognomen.
Well, this loss of memory in middle
age should always be treated as a
serious symptom, whether it be SO or
not. People who suffer therefrom
should decrease their hours of labor,
work more Systematically, be careful to
take rest whenever they feel tired, re-
Taxation when the least low in spirits,
abundant exercise IN the open air
mhether they seem to need 1T or not.
They should attend to the general
health and the regularity of the system.
Take tonic--a mild and non.consti-
pating one remembering, however.
that tonics are dangerous tools, and
too often wolves in sleeps clothing, or
stimulants in disguise. Temperance
should be observed, and wine most
sparingly used. By observing such
rules as these falling memory may
be restored; then, and not till then,
mnemonics may be had recourse to, in
order to prevent a relapse.
Mnemonics should be to the memory
what good sspeotacles are to the eyes
preservatiye Ha7per's Bdzar.,