Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-03-16
loss OF MEMORY.
COURSE OF TREATMENT TO BE
PURSUED WITH THE AGED.
Instances of Great ENaItstion of Memory
-IutoHIcati"n by the u. of Opium
Systematic Methods Of KesuscitatIon-A
BIT Of Advice to Old Folks.

NyttmallF e1 Nr-hsfltAtlOn- n
hit Of Advice to Old Folks.
An exaltation Of memory is where
multitude Of reC0lleCtiOns spring mp in
voluntarily on every hand II has its
cause to an increase Of the circulation Of
the blood in the brain 1t frequently
appears in acute diseases. espec
ally feverS Il is common in mani
scsl patients, and it sometimes appears as
a feature Of hysteria and 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 - the
mnutest detail
Some 90 81 far as to say that every in
stance Of former life seems to flash across
the memory. not as an outline merely.
but with every detail filed in with the
most remarkable minutiP-every act of
life. whether right or wrong. comes back
with great Vivi lne-S RibOt cites the
case of a clear-l eaded man who was in
. the act Of CrOsSil ~ 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 lines Of rails;
and as the train rushed over him the feel
ing of impending danger brought to his
recollection most ViVidly every act and
incident of his former life i'll such an array
as to suggest 10 him the opening of the
great book at the last great day.
oPIIM-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 int0NicatiOn by the use OF
opium He saws: Sometimes seemed to
have lived from seventy to 100 years in
/ single night The minutest incidents of
. childhood or forgotten scenes of later
/ wears were often revived. | could not be
said to reColleCt them. for if had been
/ told Of them on awakening. | should not
nave been able To acknowledge them as
part of my experience: hut placed before
me in dream like intuitions. and clothed
/ in all their eyanesCent circumstances and
accompanying feelings, | recognized them
Instantly
Such argumentati0ns OF the memory
/ NAV 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 perfectly healthy
and vigorous circulation of blood in the
brain The same lesson Is taught by an
opposite condition from that Of an eXalta-
tation-a elimination of the normal MEM
ory by a decay or withering Of the brain
/ cells and diminished supply Of blood to
the parts.
The loss of memory in the aged is r ia
miliar example, and can only be accounted
for by deterioration Of the brain elements
and diminution of blood sup
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 of
memory in person advanced in years,
! who did not know that his memory had
failed most remarkably till told him Of
it, He is making vigorous effort To bring
it back again. and with partial success.
To STRENGTHEN 4 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 he impressed on the mind clearly.
He is 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 il at intervals Ten names from
among public men are ordered TO be com
mitted to memory every week. A verse
of poetry is 10 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 a failing memory.
The aged should all look to this danger
| in their lives and resolve TO combat it
from the first. BY 50 doing they will
make their declining years more enjOya-
bic. 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 be rem.
dered pleasant Herald of Health.