The record-union., 1894-01-25
FREAKS OF MEMORY.
Record of Many Remarkable Cases
Story Of f,n,.nls.u IrnrSns

Record of Many Remarkable Cases
story OF Cavalry Horses.
There are on record many remarkable
cases OF loss and subsequent recovery OF
memory, says the lYOr{d'S Progress. DR..
\ bercromby records the case of four
yearold boy who was injured in the
head and underwent trepanning. On
recovery the boy absolutely forgot all
about the accident and the operation, and
when ne had reached the age OF 10 had a
fever, during which he gave his mother
an exact description OF the operation and
of every one who was in the room al the
time, even to the very clothes they wore.
In the Intervening ten years the subject
had never been referred to by the boy,
even in the slightest way.
The story is well known of the aristo-
cratic English boy, Montague, who,
stolen when child, was brought up as u
chimney sweep, and, being one day en-
ployed to sweep the chimneys OF his an
cestral halls, descended through the f1ue
into his own former nursery, recognizing
everything i'll the room, and made re-
marks which led to the restoration of his
birthright.
After Sir Walter Scott had completed
the bride of LammermOor' he had an
illness. and on recovery he was given a
printed copy OF the work. why" said
he, ''Who can have written this? l had
intended to handle this subject myself" !"
Nor could he recognize any paragraph in
the story.
An otfice-holder, who position was
practically sinecure, his entire duty be-
ing to sign his name, happened on one
occasion TO have to sign so many docu-
ments that toward the end OF the task he
literally forgot his name, and could not
for the life OF him continue 10 write it.
An attache of the German army at st.
Petersburg went out one morning to
make a round of social calls, and on his
going into house where the servant, not
knowing him, asked for his name in
order to announce it, the diplomat forgot
it and had to turn to another visitor for
aid.
This ludicrous predicament had some
thing OF a parallel in the case of Sir
Henry Holland, who spent several hours
exploring mine in the HartZ Mountains
and, getting faint from fatigue, forgot
every word of German, in which he had
been conversing with his guide. Sir
Henry could not recollect enough Ger
man to make the request that he be taken
out OF the mine, and not till he came to
the surface and enjoyed good lunch did
he recover his command of the language.
DR.. Dwight tells of a girl who preached
a sermon while asleep, and mentioned a
date when she would deliver another dis
course. On awakening she knew nothing
about it, yet upon the exact date she had
fixed she again preached in her sleep.
The familiar instance of MeZzofanti.
who, after long illness. forgot every
thing except the use Of his native lam
guage. is another remarkable example.
Sir Walter Scott'S hero, Guy Manner
ing, came back, as we know. to the scenes
Of his early boyhood, and was so re-
minded by what he saw of forgotten
past that he said things which caused his
recognition as the long-lost heir.
TO turn to the lower animals, a story is
told by Sir Robert Clayton, who put out
to grass at Knavesmire, in Yorkshire, an
entire troop of cavalry horses, part of a
regiment disbanded after it's return from
the continental wars. intending to let the
animals pass their remaining days in
peace. One day violent storm came up,
and loud peals and vivid flashes rent the
air. The old war horses ranged then-
selves side by side with the same ranks
they should have formed had the scene
been the battlefield and their masters in
the saddle ready for the fray.