Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-04-02
LOSS OF MEMORY.

AOOO W lAL1u01pls
A COURSE OF TREATMENT TO. BE
PURSUED WITH THE AGED.
Instances of Great Exaltation of Memory
-Intoxication by the use of Opium
Systematic Methods of Kesuscitation-A
Bit of Advice to Old Folks.
An exaltation of memory is where q
multitude of recollections spring mp in.
voluntarily on every hand. Tt has its
cause to an increase Of the circulation OF
the blood in the brain. 1t frequently
appears in asute diseases, espec-
ally fevers. 1t is common in mani
acal patients, and it sometimes appears as
a feature Of hysteria, ind in the early
stages of brain diseases. The subject OF
exaltation Of memory will be best under
stood by some simple illustrations. There
have been many accounts Of persons
saved from imminent death by drowning
who all agree that at the moment of as
phyxia they seemed to see their entire
lives unrolled before them, even to the
minutest detail.
Some go so far as to say that every in
stance of former life seems to fash across
the memory, not as an outline merely,
but with every detailflled in with the
most remarkable minuti@-every act of
life, whether right or wrong, comes back
with great vividness. Ribot cites the
case of a clear-headed man who was in
the act of crossing a railroad track when
an express train, running at full speed ap-
peared close at hand. The man had barely
time to throw himself down in the center
OF the road, between the two ljues Of rails;
and as the train rushed over him the feel
ing of impending danger brought to his
recollection most wildly every act and
incident Of his former life in such an array
as to suggest to him tho opening of Dthe
great book at the last great day."
oPIUM-EATING-Loss OF MEMORY.
De Quincy, in his Confessions of an
English Opium Eater" gives an expert
ence which shows how the memory. may
be exalted by i~ntoxicatioR by the use Of
opium. He says: "Sometimes l seemed to
have lived from seventy to 100 years in 8
single night. The minutest incidents of
childhood or forgotten scenes of later
years were often revived. | could not be
said to ~recollect them, for if l had been
told of them on awakening, 1 should not
have been able to acknowledge them as
part Of my experience; but placed before
me in dream-like intuitions, and clothed
in all their eyanescent circumstances and
accompanying feelings, I Recognized them
instantly
Such argumentations Of the
may be regarded as abnormal and undesir-
able, being indications of disease; but
they teach one lesson to those who would
strengthen their memories, and that is the
value and necessity of a perfectly healthy
and vigorous circulation of blood in the
brain. Tie same lessonis taught by an
opposite condition from that of an exalta-
tation-a elimination of the normal mem
DRY by a decay or whitening of the brain
cells and q diminished supply of blood to
the parts.
The loss of memory in the aged is a fa-
miliar example, and car only be accounted
for by a deterioration of the brain elements
and a diminution of blood sap-
piled to them. One of the worst
features of such cases is the fact
that an old person is not, for a
long time after decay has begun, aware Of
it. ! am now treating a case Of loss CT
memory in a person advanced in years,
who did rot know that his. memory had
failed most remarkably till I told him of
1t. He is making vigorous effort to bring
1t back again, and with partial success.
TO STRENGTHEN A wEAK MEMORY.
The method pursued is to spend two
hours daily, one in the morning. and one
in the evening, in exercising this faculty.
The patient is instructed to give the clos
est attention to all that he learns, so that
it shall be impressed on the mind clearly.
He in asked to recall every evening all the
facts and experiences of the day, and
again the next morning. Every name.
heard is written down and impressed on
his mind clearly, and an EFFORT made to re-
call it at intervals. Ten names from
among public men are ordered to be COM
mitted to memory every week. A verse
of poetry is to be learned, also a verse
from the Bible, daily. He is asked to re-
member the number of the page in a book
where any interesting fact is recorded.
These and other methods are slowly re-
suscitating q failing memory.
The aged should an look to this danger
in their lives, and resolve to combat it
from the first. By SO doing they will
make their declining years more enioya-
BILE, and give much greater pleasure to
their friends. Unceasing ~self-culture, es-
pecially in preserving the memory and
intellectual faculties, should constitute a.
considerable part of the life of every aged
person, even more than of the young.
Only by it can this period of life he rem
dered pleasant.-Herald of Health.
S-.Z-E - HE .kEH#tAr.-