Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-26
OCCULT PROOF.
THE TALE OF A PHYSICIAN.
rvRrrTKN FOR THE DISPATCH.

rWRTTTKN FOR
Photography has revealed many strange
and wonderful things during the last 20
years, but few 80 strange or startling as the
existence of natural photographs or opto1
grams, in the eyes OF the deceased. The
pictured image of the object last seen has
thus been made to yield up its secret to the
living. The perpetrstor of murder has
more than once, believe, been in this ray
discovered and brought to justice. The
only wonder is that the camera is not oftener
used in all such cases Of doubtful identity.
But know of an even stranger thing about
retinal optograms -stranger, thst is, from
the psychological standpoint, and one
which, moreover, came IN der my own per-
sonsl observation"
The speaker, O vell-known eye and ear
physician, here paused moment to light a
fresh cigar, and to settle himself back more
comfortably in his chair.
"The events I refer to, he went on, 'took
place in the early part of the seventies. 1 was
then practising in the city Of Memphis.
There came to me, one day, lady of dis
tinguIshed bearing and great beauty, fol-
lowed by 9 negro nurse girl. with fine baby
boy in her arms. Ny visitors errand con-
cerned the child. They had discovered him
to be totally blind, and had accordingly
brought him to me for consultation. The
lady, also, at the same time, introduced her
sell by name, which / Immediately recog-
nized as belonging TO one of the oldest and
best families in the place. 1t did not take
much professional experience on my part,
however, to convince me Of the utter hope
Iessness Of the case.
Madam said LIT is my opinion that
the child was born blind. In that event
Us there no hOps9' an1iOusly. as 1
az grieve to say it. returned. I will,
however, make a closer examination before
pronouncing a final opinion. There may be
some hidden local ltrouble-though I greatly
doubt it-and in that case something might
possibly be done
''She caught eagerly at the suggestion,
and the child submitted patiently enough to
the adjustment of the lens. But it was even
as had supposed: the tissues were all in a
perfectly healthy condition, and, save for
the unobservant look peculiar to the blind,
one would not easily suspect the little ones
infrmity. The loss of sight was then
plainly due to nervous trouble-probablv
prenatal, for he had never been seriously
i'll, she assured me, and in that and any
case, apparently hopeless. / was, accord
ingly, about to Withdraw the glass, and to
give it as my final dictum that nothing
could be done, when certain very fine lines on
the retlnsl background caught my attention.
Without remark, / quietly exchanged my
lens for one with higher magnifying power.
A startling revelation awaited me; on the
dark visual purple of the eye were the deli
cately drawn outlines of @ miniature facet
Too minute, indeed, for observation OF
aN,I -, L., = a
actuality of the fact. Examination of the
other eve revealed the same surprising re-
suit Here indeed was something worth
investigatingi A thousand conjectures
passed through my mind. If the child had,
as believed, been born blind, then the i'm
age was very likely prenatal also. But how
such an impression could have been made
upon the eyes of an unborn child passed my
understanding. Could ii be that the syEl-
pathetic relation existing between mother
and child was, in this case at least, close
enough and strong enough to result in such
an extraordinary phenomenon-that the
mother had in some way suffered suf-
fciently powerful mental shock to produce
such sympathetic vibration? But what if
after all, the child had not been born blind?
Then the fixed image must be due to some
equally severe nervous shock, and one
which also very likely deprived him of
sight at the same time. OF the two supposi-
tions the latter seemed by far the most nat
ural and probable. And yet my professional
conviction was that the child had been blind
from birth. In either case, the cause itself
must have been OF an extraordinary naturel
in order to produce so startling an effect
But if / could get at the circumstances
which had occasioned the loss of sight, L
was also convinced that the retinal impress
sion might stand fair chance of being &C
counted for. For, 1t was my opinion, that
the causes which produced the one, had the
other for result, as a consequence.
Assuming first, that the child had not
been born blind, and without saying any,
thing as yet of my discovery, made in
quiry If he had ever been subjected to auy
severe mental shock-ever been badly
frightened by any particular person, for
instance? The reply was a prompt mega
tive. Mrs. Dor SO l will call her-add-
ing moreover, that she was absolutely GER
tain on that point, since she had had the
care of him from birth. L infer, then,' 1
observed, that you yourself are not his
mother? You will pardon the remark, as
am exceedingly anxious to ascertain the
cause of his blindness
You are right quietly, his mother
was my sister and died giving him BIRTH
II reflected moment, and then suggested
that the nurse be allowed to take the boy
out into the adjacent garden. Comprehend
ing my wish for private interview, she at
once consented, though naturally enough
surprised and puzzled at the turn affairs
were taking.
And now, Madam, said /, when we were
once fairly alone, permit me to put you
one more question. That / do not ask it in
the spirit OF idle curiosity, you will pres
emily have abundant proof. Related as YOU
are, you can surely tell me whether or not
the child's mother, herself, ever suffered
such q shock as have described?'
"For answer the beautiful face of nv
visitor suddenly turned so white and drawn
that sprang hastily for glass of water.
'StayP she murmured family; ft will
passp aud then, presently recovering her
self continued in q low, strained voice:
MY sisters married name was Brainerd-
Mrs. Howard Brainerd. Surely YOU must
recognize it and-understand?'
"'MrS Howard Brsinerd, of White
Oaks?' sincerely shocked, Il do, indeed, re-
member it Pardon me for causing Won so
much distress!
"'She was found unconscious by the side of
her murdered husband she went on as if I
had not spoken, and died without sign
the evening of the same day, after giving
premature birth 10 this child. We cannot
doubt that she saw the whole dreadful deed,
or that 1.-THE snock-killed her. Your oues-
tion is answered
Answered indeedi recalled il all, as
sat there for little, in sympathetic silence
remembered reading up the entire case, as
represented in the daily press and of being