Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-29
DISORDERS OF MEMORY.
Some Strange Psychological Phe-
nomena Arising ThercfrOm.

lFrom the French Of 81. Alfred Binet, Ia
Public Opinion)
The English press mas been much 90
cupied recently with disorders >of MEN,
ory. These questions are always In
teresting to those fond OF psychological
subjects; and 1t must be confessed that
writers add TO the strange and mar
vellous character OF these phenomena by
presenting them without commentary ana
explanation. H. however. for the sake
OF satisfying himself one studies
"A series OF such disorders OF the memory
and connects them with the facts or
normal life, he soon perceives that the
marvellous disappears, and that he finds
himself In possession OF Ineligible facts
Among the most curious manifesto
lions OF the mem Try may be mentioned
the revival OF old remembrance under
exceptional circumstances such as.
FIRST. intoxicatio1, then pathological
states; states OF dreams and hypnotism.
violent emotional conditions. the APP
proach OF death. etc. For example,
every one has remarked that drunken
ness leaves only vague recollections,
the majority OF individuals arrested for
crimes committed during that condition
try TO get out OF It by declaring that
they remember nothing about H. There
Is some truth In this method OF de-
fence. A date. a name. fact, has often
been mentioned 10 a person slightly
under the influence OF wine, who has
been defed 10 recall II on the morrow.
by which time IL had entirely disap-
peared.
Psychological works mention the his
tory OF porter VINO, being completely
under the influence OF liquor. performed
fis errands and distributed certain
number OF packages: tho next day. In re-
gaining the use OF his reason. he was
utterly incapable OF telling what he had
done with these packages; but, which was
very curious, on drinking again. ne was
able, under this second influence, TO re-
call everything which had occurred the
first time. Something similar TO this Is
TO be observed during a fever. and. above
all, during sOmnambllisIn. As II 10 very
easy to produce s0mnambulism In certain
persons. methodical experiments have
been made concerning thes. diseases Of
the memory, which are much more exact
and complete than mere observations.
When n person Is In this particular
mental condition his memory is abnor-
mally active; but on waking he is often
incapable OF recalling anything that he
has said. seen, or felt durin. his SOM
namb ulism; but on becoming again som.
nambulisuc everything which passed In
the last similar state becomes perfectly
clear. Everyone has heard OF the ceis-
brated hyster.c. Zelda. whose case was
for 50 long studied by 81. Azam. a physi-
clan OF Bordeaux. Zelda had two moral
exist.nces, into which shs passed sue
cessiyely after these hysteric attacks;
In each OF these her character changed:
gay. smiling. and thoughtless I'm the one.
she became morose and sad in tho other:
Furthermore, and this is the point at
which We wish 20 come, esch OF these
existences had It's separate memory.
Thus. at certain moments she did not
recognize her dog. hec physician. or her
friends although perfectly we'll known
TO her IN the other condition. This 10
what is called the phenomenon OF alter
nate memory.
From time 10 time one reads In the
papers an account OF some individual
who, without any known cause. abruptly
disappears without leaving any trace;
for some days nothing is heard OF him:
then tho traveller returns. but Il able
TO give no account of how he had em-
pioyed HIS time; he is like one who
awakes after a long, dreantless sleep.
These individuals are often Mysteries or
epllcptics. II they can be hypnotized
they must be put into n sonnambulio
condition: In this state they recall every
thing that happened to them In their
strange Journeys.
Ons might then say that there II only
one row Of recoliec,ions stored up In our
minds which are at our disposal: tbs
two other rows are stored UP. but are
not TO be recalled at will We can thus
comprehend the phenomenon OF the re-
surrection OF memories. II there 70 any.
m fhaas DhRQO0i10A- IL
IS because II appears that the rsmsm-
brances were enaced: they were not;
they were orly stored up In our mental
archives. but We could not draw them
out. Everything depending on our power
~ memory like any other power
changes and varies under thousand
exterior. physical and moral innusnseA