The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-19
UNCERTAIN MEMORIES
SOME CURIOUS CASES OF LAPsEs
AND observation-disclosures
Many People Forget Names and Places
and Make Bad Breaks-LauHhable
and Awkward Experiences.
Boston Herald.

Boston Herald.
The average man has a fairly good men,
CRY in regard to matters within his ex-
perience, but even the average man has his
lapses. which are remarkable because they
are unusual. In many cases memory is af-
fectsd by the physical health of the indi-
yidual, though there are cases on record
where in disease the mind and it's memory
are practically unaffected. But disease
usually brings with it many alterations of
the mind. or the memory. which is. indeed.
as already explained function of the
brain. In support of this we have numer-
Gus instances Of persons recollecting in the
delirium of fever. things which had long
since been forgotten or even speaking in a
language-that of their childhood-which
lad otherwise long passed from their mind.
Not the least singular feature of memory
is the way in which it is affected by certain
diseases CT the brain. Sometimes the pa
tient loses the whole stock of his knowl-
edge acquired previous to the disease. the
faculty of acquiring and retaining in
formation remaining entire. Sometimes he
loses his memory of words and retains that
of things, or he may retain his memory of
nouns and lose that of verbs. vice versa.
But, perhaps, the most singular case-and
it is not very uncommon-is when one
language in taken entirely out of his re-
tention without affecting the memory of
others.
What is commonly called absent minded
ness, slips of memory or malapropos say
ings, are among the peculiarities with
which memory is chargeable. These have
sometimes produce laughabe and often
awkward experiences, many of which have
Deen recorded. 1t is related that many
years ago the Count Grammont. who had
engaged himself to an English lady Miss
Hamilton. started off, all of a sudden TO
France. Her brother, Count George Hamil-
ton, pursued and overlook him at Dover.
and thus addressed him: My dear frierd
believe you have forgotten a circumstance
that should take place before you return to
France" To which Grammont replied,
True, my dear friend, what a memory /
have! / quite forgot that 1 was TO marry
your sister, but 1 will instantly accompany
you back to London and rectify that for
getfulness. 1t is needless to say that Gram
monts personal courage was not of de-
cloed character Thus also Claudus Caes-
ar. though no wit, had treacherous men,
DRY. After he had his wife Messalina
murdered, he would ask the servants why
the empress did not come in to supper as
usual and many others, whom. after hav-
day invited the councils or to throw dice
and as they made but small haste, sent
messengers to reprove them for their delay.
Bishop Burnett was remarkable instance
of Observation-Disclosures and malaproros say
inss In the early days of the great MARI
borough he obtained an interview with him
and was even asked to dine but was eau
TONED to be on his guard and not commit
himself. Among others of the guests was
Prince Eugene, who, seeing q dignified cler-
gyman present asked who he was, and.
having heard he had been in Paris in $780,
asked him how long it was since he had
left it. Burnet, somewhat fattered by
the address, answered that he could not re-
collect the year. but 1t was at the time
when the Countess of scissors was i'm
| prisoned on suspicion of practicing a con-
cealed mode of poisoning. people This lady
happened to be the mother of Prince Eu-
gene. and, both parties eyes being fixed
upon one another then only the bishop per-
ceived his mistake. stammered, apologized
and retired in the utmost confusion. Upon
another occasion the Bishop dining one
day with Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough
the conversation turned upon the ingrati-
tude of the government to the Duke, who
had just lost his places. Burnet aptly COM
pared him to Belisarius; when her grace
asked what was the occasion of his down.
fall "Oh. madam" said Burnet. poor
Behsarius had a shocking birthstone of a
wife"
SCRATCHED ANOTHER'S LEG
DR.. Thomas, Bishop of Salisbury. was so
fcrgetful or absentminded that he forgot
the day on which he was to be married, and
was surprised at his servant bringing him
a new dress suit. What is this for?" he
asked. cit is your wedding suit, my lord
returned the servant. On another occasion,
a gnat singing him on the leg. the good
| doctor stopped and scratched the leg of an
| other gentleman instead of his own.
Here is another case that almost exceeds
| belief but yet it is we'll authenticated. Jo-
seph Schaliger, the famous classical scholar
| and commentator, positively declared that
| he knew nothing of the massacre of st.
Bartholomew. though it took place all
| around him in Paris. His close study OF
<l,a Hohr
| the clashing of arms the cries of children,
| the shriekS of women and the groans OF
| la Fontaine the celebrated French au-
| thor. was so absent-minded to call and
visit friend whose funeral he had attend
ed. On being told that his friend was dead
| and buried he was much surprised, but.
| recollecting himself, said 1T is true
enough, for was at the funeral.
| A story is told of farmer in Connect-
| cut who had a peculiar but in some re-
| spects a defective. memory. Nothing in
| his early life of peculiarly business char
| acter, which he once understood. appeared
| ever to escape him. and had 1t not been
! for the sake of gratifying his neighbors he
might never ke Yet ths @ans l
| ory in many things was exceedingly uncer-
tain. not to say treacherous. He never
nor the rules of multiplication and di-
vision. although often taught them in the
clearest and simplest manner:
ralist. Charles Darwin, relates the follow
| ing curious incident: II was once" he
| SAYS. concerned for an elegant and in
| genious young lady. who had a reverie on
| alternate days, which continued nearly the
| whole day and in her days of disease
| she took up the same kind of ideas which
/ she had conversed about on the alternate
/ day before and could remember nothing
| of them on her well day, she appeared to
| her friends to possess two minds" The
| case however was case of disease which
| was removed in due season by the use of
| appropriate remedial means, SO that the
| NC mr. hQoa me of lanOfh
| as regular as that of other people.
| distinguished American author had a
| memory so prodgiOus that he seldom il
| ever, forgot a fact which he had acquired
! though he never remembered how he OBJ
| tanned il. Hence ne was sometimes unable
| to give credit even to those to whom credit
| was due on account of which he OCCASION
| a,ly incurred the charge of plagiarism
| This gentleman never forgot a place he
| had once seen. though his memory OF
! names was defective. AS his place of res
| idence was often changed. and as he had
| long been quite q traveller. he continually
| met with such numbers of people whose
| faces he knew and of whose general char
| acter even, he might have had a recollec-
| ton but of whose names he knew nothing.
| that it was a serious trouble TO him. lie
| also remembered objects once seen with an
| uncommon distnctneSs. Having once seen
| Niagara for instance. he always saw it
| liz was ever present TO his mental vision.
| He was often heard to say that he would
<~,x~ CIT n no fnct n,