Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-05-17
WORD BLINDNESS.
A Remarkable Medical CNse.-D' fective
Speech From Defective Memory

A Remarkable Medical COsc.-D'fcctivo
speech From Defective Memory.
DR.. A. u. Williams described at a
meeting of the St Louis medical socie-
ty, case of aphasia which had recent
ly come undel his observation, and it is
generally acknowledged that the case
is one Of the most remarkable ever put
on record. John McWilliams, a whit
ener and plasterer, is the victim of
this extraordinary attack.
McWilliams came to the free dispen-
sary TO be treated for a supposed all
ment of the eye. Three or four days
before, during the very sleety weather,
he fell on the sidewalk at the mouth of
the alley in which he lives striking the
whole Of the right side of his body
and especially his head, at once. There
were no symptoms to speak of at first
but he felt faint and weak. He went
into the house, and felt some trouble in
his left side, the force of the shock
having been transmitted and caused a
contra-coup. Even now that side
seems the most affected. For two or
three days he did not know that any
i'll result had followed, until he was
doing a job of plastering on porch,
when he discovered that his sight
was defective in some way. He wish
ed to put piece of plaster on a GER
tain spot above his head, but could
not succeed. He could see the plaster
well enough, and the spot of ceiling,
but when it came to combining the
two he failed, always striking some
other spot. Returning home he fur
ther found that he could not call his
wife and son by their Christian names
There was no paralysis, but weak
ness of the body. He could generally
say what he wanted if time were Civ
en- him, and he understood everything
that was said to him, and could repeat
any word that was suggested. Another
feature of his case was that although
he was a man of considerable educa-
ton, he had forgotten how to write or to
read either written or printed words
When he was sent TO DR.. Hazard, that
gentleman tested him by pointing to
the word surgery" in large capitals in
a medical journal, do you know what
that is?" "Oh, yes" Spell it then"
BE" "Oh, mol s-u-l-g-e-r-y.'
why, yes, that's surgery" Then the
doctor bade him try again, but again
he misname the letters. He did not
seem to connect any meaning with the
forms. Again he could not locate OBJ
jects correctly with the eye. Were n
chair pointed out TO him he would rec
ognize it Immediately, but if started
on line toward it he could not turn
out of course and would infallibly
walk into it. lie could not lift his
finger up and touch his eyeball; he
would always strike to the right or
left of it if he watched the finger.
With his eyes closed, however, he
could readily place his finger on them.
At first he thought there was some
trouble with the eyeball, and that was
why he called on DR.. Williams; but
the orb was found perfectly natural.
II was, however, DETECTED somewhat
out, the nerve that holds the eye in
place having been Jared by the shock.
The case was entirely one Of amnRsic
aphasia, defective speech from defect
i've memory. There were two kinds
of it. In one the centers concerned in
hearing were affected; in the other, as
McWilliams's, those concerned in sight
were impaired. His was an eXtraordi-
nary example of word blindness. In
ordinary ataxic aphasia the patient
knows only few things by the same
name, but he is able to write and
understand anything written or print
ed, and so convey his ideas. McWil-
lians was in situation just the con-
verse of this, and his intellect must be
deeply affected.