The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-14
A MEDICAL REVELATION
DIR. R. oSGOOD MASON PRESENTS
sOME ASTONISHING FACE
He Has Found Alternating Personals
ties, and Explains Actions other
wise UnaccountabIe.

Dr. p Osgood Mason, OF New York, the
medical scientist whose Investigations in
psychical phenomena have attracted wide
attention. is about TO make public series
of exceedingly interesting facts bearing on
a most important discover regarding an
actual dual personality. 1t is that large
proportion OF the civilized world possesses
alternating personalities. The strangest
feature OF the condition referred TO is that
the existence within us OF the second self
is not realized. and yet IL is the impeliing
force which provokes the commission OF
actions totally foreign to the known nature
OF the individual 1t shows that the novel;
lists creation Of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
is not in the least improbable. In fact. It is .
demonstrated beyond question that there
are many persons in this world who are
the conglomerate of two individuals of ex-
actly opposite characteristics.
Even further than this, the facts which
DR.. Mason presents go to prove the truth
Of the famous biblical quotation: 1.-THE sins
of the fathers shall be visited upon the
children unto the third and fourth genera
ton of them that hate me-" This is shown
by what some persons are pleased to i'm
properly call heredity. Technically, hered-
ity refers 10 certain personal peculiarities
noticeable in each generation of a family.
The biblical assertion, however. is proved
by the fact that frequently the dual per-
sonality OF an individual is composed OF
the nature which his father and mother
have directly transmitted TO him. and a
second nature or self which Is a direct re-
production of the veil that lay in an an
cestor three, four, or perhaps five genera
lions before.
1t Is a matter Of common knowledge that
in almost every family there has been at
one time or another a marriage which has
given cause for regret. often from the fact
that the person who married into the fam
lily proved to be of nature not at all de-
sirable. 1t may be the children which re-
suit from such marriage will be devoid
of the maternal characteristics, and the
same statement may prove true of the gem
GRAFTON that succeeds them. SO IL runs
along until perhaps the fourth generation
following, and then the child OF parents
whose natures are all that could be desired.
in whom the spirit of evil finds no Judgment.
develops a character such as might have
been bestowed upon him by the fiend in
carnate Then the world marvels and won-
ders why this is So but cannot dispute its
truth.
THE SECOND SELF.
Now then this is when the nature of the
individual Ia whom Satan has an interest Is
plainly visible. DR.. Mason's Investigations
and deductions relate TO those amon, us
who possess these dual natures and vet as
a rule have sufficient moral courage to re-
press, so far as appearances are concerned,
the Mr.. Hyde individuality. However.
| sometimes Mr.. Hyde will not down, and
| then are committed those strange actions
which the world and even the persons who
commit them find 1t impossible TO recon.
! Gle with the character of the individual
| as understood. There are few persons who
have not felt mysterious impulses TO stray
from the path of rectitude in a violent and
startling manner. IL is these. impulses
which have led some medical men TO assert
that all humanity is more or less insane.
DR.. Mason proves that there is nothing OF
the sort, but that these impulses are simply
| the influence of the second, or evil. self.
| The second self Is not necessarily evil but
it is an unpleasant fact that generally this
| is the case All these things will be set
| forth In statement DR.. Mason Is soon to
| issue to the public containing the result
| of his Investigations regarding the dual
| personality. He has given the members of
the American Medical Association some
thing TO think of in a paper read by him
before the section on neurology of that or
ganization, treating principally of the ORR
gin and the medico-legal aspect of the dual
personality He SAYS:
1T is a well recognized fact that certain
| clearly defined traits characteristics,
| either physical or mental, existing i'm an
| cestors near or remote, may after passing
| by one or more generations at length crop
| "a La or
| one. Physical peculiarities or deformities.
tendency to certain diseases peculiar
| mental characteristics are frequently I'm this
| manner transposed, also a peculiar insight
| into genius for certain pursuits as for
instance hunting, fishing and frontier life.
military career. mathematics. music, act
| ing or scientific pursuits. existing I'm n
| marked degree In some near or remote an
| cestor may be inherited directly in the sue
| ceeding generations but on the other hand
| Ii may pass over one or more generations
| TO appear in an unmistakable manner I'm a
| later one.
| Suppose, for instance that five genera
tons back there had appeared a man OF
marked and thoroughly bad characteristics
| married TO a right-minded. moral. even re-
| ligiouS woman; that he was q. vilifier OF re-
| ligion, profane and vicious I'm life and un-
scrupulous in his dealings with others: that
the generations which Immediately sue
ceeded came under influences which, aided
by inherited characteristics from the
mother, led to lives OF morality. uprightness
or even conspicuous piety. In the fifth gen.
Grafton appeared a man who. in the midst
of these moral and religious environments.
was conspicuous for his profanity, his
vicious life and INSCRIPTIONS conduct. so
identical with his remote ancestor TO
make the connection undoubted.
TRACING ITS ORIGIN.
"where did this evil tendency exist DUR
ing the four intervening generations? Let
us tap the main line between the two ex-
treme points and see what information may
be extracted In the fourth generation was
a mild. religiously inclined woman OF del
icate health and perhaps unstable person.
atty. From some sudden shock. syncope or
loss OF consciousness occurs. and on recov-
cry an entirely new and different personal
| ity Is found to have taken the place OF
| the original one. 1t processes to be a man,
| and 10 the horror and CONSERVATION of the
good people surrounding her. the patient
! commences to curse. TO vilfy everything
| good, and to uphold sentiments and prac-
tices OF the most offensive and criminal
character. This newly arrived personality
has a chain OF memories and individual his
tory quite foreign and unknown 10 the phi