The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-01-14
MENTAL ACCIDENTS


.. .
Mechanical Activity of the Mod ~ .. re-
/. sais ~ Hebft-A psiiing rhat n
Cemmoa 60 Literary
reopss.
"A ffoerary man, who is victim Of alb
seutUslndcdness, says that frequently
aftev - Osts into bed he lies ssvslse
aud wuathHs why He Is conscious that
someehanS b wrong but cannot deter
mine u,AAA II Is Finally, In despern-
tdun, b fcss up, looks around and dis
coTrA that the gas Is burning He
turns y out and goes promptly to sleep
Tho stOange part Of this failing Is
thaA he NOT tnfrequentiy has the same
experience, and one would suppose
that when he found himself wakeful in
q lighted room his first thought would
be Of tho lighted gas This and few
other examples which are now recalled
seem 10 indicate that literary men are
very likely 10 be extremely absent-mtnd-
ed and shffer most from this falling
immediately after having concentrated
their minds upon their writing or close
reading
One man has trouble in keeping his
manuscript sheets in order, SAYS the
New York Tribune After writing one
sheet he is likely to toss it aside among
old bits or discarded writings. he
writes an extremely fine hand. and in
correcting his manuscript he is forced
often to rewrite u whole page. In such
cases he tears up the old page to- keep
1t from getting mingled with the 9TH
ers. At times, however, after rewrit-
ing sheet, with the corrections which
he wishes to make, he innocently tears
up the new manuscript and replaces the
old sheet precisely where it was and
just rs it was before.
Later, when he discovers his old
friend or enemy, say page forty nine,
he is surprised to find that it has not
been changed when he fancied that he
had completed his work, it not occur
ring to him at that moment that he real
ly had rewritten the page but had again
destroyed it.
A very remarkable case of a mind
which leads to certain action by force
OF habit when the thoughts are else
where is that of another writer whose
workshop" is on the second floor of
his house. He sits up late every night
and the first thing he does after finish.
ing his writing or studying is to 90
downstairs and turn out the gas In the
hall He never forgets to do this. Re-
Gently, however, he went to the head
Of the stairs thinking of some work
upon which his mind had been intent.
He was conscious in vague way Of
having difficulty in finding his way down
the stairs. When he reached the hall he
was affected by q strange feeling Of be-
wilderment- lie was perfectly aware
that he had come downstairs to put out
tho light, but when he raised his nrm
he could not dnd the chandelier The
room was in darkness Still, as his
mind was mechanically urging that
the light be put out r.Ad at the same
time actively engaged with other
thoughts. he could not comprehend that
some one else had turned out the light
for him
Strangest Of all was his next act He
actually struck a match, SO that hy its
light he could see If the gas really were
not. burning He then turned on the
gas, lighted it, put it out again and went
to bed. 1t did not occur to him until
the next morning that he had done my
thing stupid, as he innocently expressed
it to his wife.
There does not seem to be any treat
ment or discipline which will benefit
this peculiar mental neglect One man
knows perfectly that his failing in this
direction is that he has trouble in find
ing his ties. They are always kept in a
particular drawer and he does not for
get that he should put on his tie But,
while aware that his ties are in one
drawer only, he will look in the 6rst |
drawer which his hand touches and then |
SO on opening and closing others until |
he finds the right one. Again. when |
his mind has selected a certain tic to
be Worn on that day, he will run over
several OF them, that particular oos in
cluded, wondering where it is
He has been known to call his wife |
after doing this and to ask her to pick
out his "blue and white" or his polka
dot" or his "black silk" tie In this
case his mind is SO far away from every
thing except the general idea of black
tie" that when the specific black tie"
lies before him the brain impression Of
general black tie" does not give way
to be replaced by the more marked i'm
this certain black tie"
1t is not essential, however, that these
men are always in such confusion men
tally. When their brains think of ''that
certain black tic" to go back to that
example again, there is no trouble at
all 1t is the fact that man mechanic.
ally will do certain things while his men
'al activity is exerted in an entirely diff
ferent direction that causes the trouble
often the man who cannot find his ties
s suddenly brought back to the present
when his hand touches the wrong
irawer. He then instantly opens the
light one.
If you are absent-minded you will find
I you watch yourself provided your
will allow you to
watch yOlrScif) that this is so though