Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-05-14

CHAPTER L
 THE PATIENT
 A fixed and chan@aleas expression. A single sentiment in tho dark eyes, turn ing restlessly from one serious face to the other A single sentiment ill the timid trembling of the pale lips, in the expression of the delicate nostrils, in the nervous contraction of the brows that accompany it.
 For mind which betrays itself in countenance such as this, all the possi- bilities of existence, all that remains of life and happiness, can be summed up in one terrible word-fear. Henceforth this was all that the infinite world of thought and all the endless pleasure of being could mean to this poor creature In the midst of the sunshine, the free air, the song of the birds, the whisper of lovers, the voices of friendship, she must continue to live on as unconscious of them all as if her life had been mar rowed down to the darkest dungeon of an inquisition-
 To deprive face that beams with intelligence and beauty of the one light that makes it priceless, to blot out in the twinkling of an eye that unmeasured universe that exists in the brain of an individual and leave in it's place a soli- tary candle like this glimmering in the night-what a measureleSs crime! And such a crime has been committed. Does it add anything to the depth of the in- fanny or to the burden of the guilt that the poor victim was but 19 and had been struck down in the fullnesS of health and strength?
 The patient sat on the edge of the bed from which she had lately arisen in an alcove chamber opening into a large apartment, furnished like a sitting room. Two grave and interested physicians, one gray haired and advanced in years, the other of middle age, were watching her. There was no evidence that either of these men comprehended anything of the unutterable pathos of the situation. Their problem was purely physiolog- ical one. The moral aspects of the case concerned them only where they aided a diagnosis. The ceaseless, uneasy mo- tion of the poor girls hands, clasping 'and unclasping themselves in her lap, the pathetic cry, without an attempt at articulation, that she uttered from time to time these were the matters that in- terested them.
 II have observed very curious thing" the elder physician was saying. Ut is possible, of course, that may be mistaken, but if am not then this girl possesses a curious power in a remark able degree. "
 The younger man repeated the phrase with no little wonder, "A curious pow er:''
 ''Ycs, a very curious power, I should say, of what, for want of better term, I will call optical retention. You know what I mean:'
 No
 II mean the faculty of retaining scene i'll the mind after the eyes are closed or the scene removed We all have it in varying degrees You men, ton the writing table at my office, and immediately an image, tOlerably dis tinct, of the size, shape and general ap- pcarance of the table rises before my mental vision I mean simply, if this girl were familiar with the looks of that table and she could be made to under stand what I am talking about, she W OuItt Stt lIlc ODlcCt III NuGSllOI1 SO h1N1 1Il- ly that it would be to her almost the reality-pcrhaps, might say, practical " the reality
 Tine younger physician regarded the speaker i'll silent wonder.
 You don't take my meaning?"
 ''Oh, perfectly My term for it is wis ualization. What puzzles me is that you should sec any evidences of it here. What has she done to show it?''
 Not any one thing so much as every thing. I generalize it from careful ob- servation of her movements.
 Do you call it a synptom?"
 "No-that is, don't know. It may be abnormal, or it may be natural to her in state of health I have studied several cases. One, very young child who could find his way unerringly about a familiar place blindfolded- His family called it instinct, but it was simply phenomenal power of retaining the pio- ture of the room in his mind, combined with an accurate idea of distance. Un- seen by him, Idisarranged the furniture, and he lost his head at once.
 Yes, but didn't suppose an idiot could possess such faculty"
 Nor L But is this an idiot:'
 The younger physician was altogether too cautious to commit himself, but he fixed upon the pale face of the patient . look of doubt and un- certainty that was plain enough of it. self He shrank as much as did his gray haired colleague from the humiliating confession, II don t understand the case at all"
 The elder physician was certainly in no haste to pronounce verdict. Called for the purpose of aiding his younger associate to arrive at definite conclu- sion as to the nature of the mysterious malady under which the patient suf fered, he had as yet refrained from ex- pressing an opinion, and now he spoke i'll the most guarded and cautious man. ncr:
 It seems to me, Lamar, that the problem in this case narrows itself down to a question as to whether the patients present condition is due to the blow she is known to have received upon the head or to the purely mental results of the terror caused by the accident. "
 Surely" said the younger man, ''you do not wish me to understand that you believe it even possible that such condition should be the result of simple terror or pure mental action of any kind. It seems almost certain to me that there was some structural or functional disor- der prior to the accident. /"
 Every possibly. did not say to the contrary. Some of her symptoms almost indicate pressure on the brain, but long experience in an accident hospital has made me wary of jumping to a con