The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-02-07
CURIOUS PHENOMENA.
SEVERAL VERY REMARKABLE CASES
OF "MULTIPLEX PERSONALITY"

An Extremely Perplexing Case-The
Three Lives of Louis V-The Theory of
Oi,session-The ''Watseka Wonder"
An Obscure Subject.
A dispatch from NorristOwn, Pa, gives an
account of a curious case which has come to
light there and which, if the circumstances
are as stated, probably belongs to class
which has been growing for some years with
rather disquieting speed. Some two months
ago a stranger came to NOrristOwn, rented
store, stocked it and began business. There
was nothing in his conduct or bearing to at
tract attention, and he lived with perfect
quietness until one evening neighbOr was
startled by the appearance of the newcomer
in a bewiIdered state, asking where he was.
Then he declared that he knew nothing of his
sojourn in NorristOWk; that he was Rhode
Island clergyman; that two months ago he
left his home on some business, drew some
money out CT the bank and then lost recOllec- |
ton until he found himself in the Pennsyl-
vania town. Not many years ago a story
like this would have been secuted save by
few students in advance of the time. Now,
thanks chiefly to the Investigations Of French |
medical science it is generally known that what |
Mr.. Alfred Myers happily terms "multiplex |
personality" is a genuine though extremely |
perpleXing phenomenon. Drs CharcOt, Richer, |
Azan, RibOt, Noisin, Camuset, etc, have for a !
number of years studied this class of cases. and |
in the records of the now historical ones of Eel
is x and Louis V are to be found all and |
more than all the pecuIiarities of the case Of
Ansel Bourne.
LIVED THREE LIVES.
Louis Y lived three lives, separated from
one another by commissions. These fits COW
ba pba from 70
other and there was a change of personality,
for the whole character was radically altered.
Thus in one state the patient mOrose,
suspicious dishonest, while in another he was
flank, cheerful, amiable aud upright Similar
phenomena were observed in the case of Fee
linda Y, though her popularity is that the
sOmnambunc state has become the normal or
prevalent one, while what was the normal
state is the occasional one. AS this change
has improved her character much, it is not to
be regretted. In all insane asyIurns cases are
found of loss or exchange of personality, and
often the insanity consists almost wholly in
such an exchange.
The revelations of SCIENCE however are
approaching point which bears directly on
alienism. Hereafter it may be necessary to
realize that the substitution of one person
ality for another does not demonstrate mad
ness, but possible psychical disease as sus-
|
Hypnotism is the key with which these mys-
teries Of nultiplex personality are being un-
locked slowly, and while as yet the mode of
operation is not perceived it is established that
the influence, magnetic or otherwise, does
take hold OF these peculiar psychicaI con-
ditions and modifies them beneficially
OTHER STRANGE CASES
There are many strange cases which come
under this category, and Dr. Hammond re-
Gently discussed some of them in The Forum
That of the dry goods bookkeeper who few
months ago stepped out of his place of bust
ness in this city and came to himself, as it
were, in Washington several weeks later. ap-
pears 10 have been Of the same kind. In all
such cases it is TO be observed that there is a
continuity of physical control and also Of
mental action. The personality is sometimes
changed, but though the normal identity dis
appears, another instantly supplants it. The
man does not become bewildered. He only
becomes another man. He is able to go about
some business, to act so as not to attract at
tentiOn; in some instances to take UP and
carry on q new Ene of purpose and thought.
Phenomena Of this character formerly were !
held applicable only by the theory of obses-
sion by q free spirit The Interpretation was /;
at least Ineligible, granting the premises
and the Spirituaists have a staple iIIustra-
ion, known as the "Watseka Wonder" in
WHICH, young gH1 was "oDSeSSed' by the
spirit OF another, and changed her person
llity for some months. The French scientists,
md perhaps Mr.. Myers also, would reject the
'ObSeSSlOn" theory, and necessarily from their
POINT of view, but they certainly have not
ucceeded in showing how or why these
TRANCE metamOTphoses occur. The hypothe-
is that we all carry about with US the poten-
iality Of any number Of personalities, which,
II any one more of them, may be set in
ctivity by some fortuitous pressure upon a
'articular part of the brain, is, to say the
east, unpleasant to contemplate and the
more SO inasmuch as nobody appears capable
f suggesting any method by which such
Mysterious interferences with personality can
re prevented. Altogether it is a remarkable
nd deeply interesting, but decidedly obscure
York Tribune
l.