The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-07-19

Jones and / escorted him to the jail,
and waited outside tide result Of the con
ference. It was an hour before he SUM
moned Us to him, and then he met rs in
the little ccurb yard and said:
''C1entlemen, can lind no trace of In
sanity a5ou5 him. He is as rational as
any Of us. The only explanation | can
offer is that at some time he suffered a
severe shock to some of the nerve centers,
or passed through an illness which has
left his mind prior to that time, and per
haps periodically since, a blank"
Are there cases on record of that
kindr'
'sThere are few; but usually where
such intellectual paralysis, or local par
eses. has been superinduced by injury or
breaking down of the brain cells, it has
been attended by complete loss of all
sense of memory. The fact which throws
doubt upon this case being such an one
is the apparent continuation or survival
of certain faculties. For instance, the
man is able to reason; he talks not only
with Conference, but he correlates ideas
and words with events; he retains full
grasp of his intellectual requirements,
as, for instance, the ability to read, to
write. This is very unusual"
1T can't be that kind Of a case, !" re-
marked Jones, for have heard.of those
people who came out of an attack Of ty-
phoid or brain fever and had to COM
mence all over again, beginning just as
children do with their alphabet"
''There is a possibility that such may
be true in this case to tue extent have
mentioned In fact DO not know Of
any other explanation, and itwould be q
difficult matter to demonstrate.
What makes such thing seem i'm
possible to me" replied, sis that this
man was 1nanifestly living in the same
condition at Memphis He seems to be
existing in intervals, and at the close of
each period his memory becomes blank
to all that has preceded"
.sThat recurrence in the intervals of
what we might call consciousness could
perhaps be accounted for By tenn
porary lessening Of pressure on the brain
if the affection was traceable to an in
jury" replied the doctor. When
through any cause the pressure was re-
Taxed he would recover the use of facul-
ties least affected; when suddenly ac-
centuated the brain would relapse into a
torpid condition, while physically the
man might be perfectly well. He would
then act mechanically from muscular
rather than mental volition."
by Georgel'' / exclaimed, as a
thought flashed ray of hope into my
mind, the scar"
''What scar?R said the doctor, suddenly
alert.
s'This man has a scar on the right side
Of his head" responded, indicating tho
place above my own ear. 81 first no.
ticed it at Memphis, and it was one Of
the personal peculiarities by which /
identified him in court when first saw
him here, remember, too, that he told
me it sometimes made him dizzy when
he pressed it.
Now we are getting very close to the
seat Of tho trouble" said the doctor,
manifestly Frightening. 'sWhy did you
not mention this beforer
II confess it seemed so trivial thing
that never thought of it."
1T may be the solution of the whole
mystery, and enable us to restore this
unfortunate to his rightful mind Come,
gentlemen, let us see the man again at
once"
returned to the cen where Brigham
was confined. He welcomed US very
courteously, but the doctor stood upon
no ceremony. He said brusquely:
Mr.. Brigham, your friends have told
me of an injury to the head which you
once received wish to examine it"
There is certainly mark Of some
sort upon the side of my head, was the
prisoners reply, ''but whatait is, or how
it came there, cannot even infer"
The doctors white, nervous fingers
were already running through the mans
hair. They stopped a moment over the
point where the scar was, then frightened,
and before we could spring forward to
catch him Brigham grew deathly pale,
bis eyes closed, he realed and fell in a
huddled heap upon the rough wood floor,
and lay there as one dead.
"This is the secreti" exclaimed DR.. De
Costa tliumphantly, as he stood over the
unfortunate man. "Don't be excited,
gentlemen. he will come to in few
moments, and presently hope we shall
give this mans past back to him."
"You can do that?"
"Assuredly. In some way, which we
shall perhaps learn from the lips of the
patient himself, this man was injured in
the head. A minute fragment of the
skull was carried away In time the skin
grew over the wound and formed a
tough, serviceable cover. But it exerted
certain local pressure which is intensi-
fed to Inconsistencies as you have seen,
by slight pressure. When this man re-
covers what in his case is only partial
consciousness he viii probably have en-
tered upon another phase Of life, and
will have completely forgotten the events
which have distinguished the interval
thar has elapsed since he last lost con-
seriousness It will suit onr purpose to
mis.ead him a little, SO please follow my
directions"
The doctor dipped his hand kerchief in
a cup Of water which stood near by, and
laid it on the forehead of the unconscious
man. Presently life began to assert it
self He breathed convulsively, his eyes
twitched and then his lips opened little