The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-07-10
Curious Mental Disorder Afflict-
ing a Thirteen -Year-Old Girl.
SUFFERING WITH HYSTERlA
Experiments in New York Hospital
Show Two Divisions of Patients
Brain Acting simultaneously, Yet
Independently of Each Other-A
Case of Interest to Scientists.


patients of the Binghamton State Hospital
is pretty young gin, thirteen years old,
who, when brought there several months
ago, was suffering from acute hysteria
DR.. William A. White, OF the hospital staff,
has been performing souse remarkable ex-
periments with the gin, demonstrating the
dual condition OF the mind and the ex-
istence of a subconscious mental state.
When the child first arrived at the hos
pital she could rot see out OF the left eye.
Dir. White has proved that this eye 'lOes
see, although the child is unconscious OF
the fact. The patient while il one mental
state knows absolutely nothing OF what
happened while in the other. The doctor
experim ented with tue girl yesterday
before a meeting OF the Broome County
Medical Society.
The first experiment was to prove that
the conscious mental state acts upon The
subconscious state. A second e1pe rirneHt
proved the reverse. A third experiment
showed the two divisions OF the brain
acting simultaneously, yet independently
OF each other. Dr. White had the child
close her light eye. He held two fingers
aG an angle from her left eye. do you
see my ha nd?" he as sked. NO." was the
reply. How many fingers am l holding
up?"
Two: but / can't see tbem." was the
correct reply.
Under the Doctors eatment the left re-
tina, which has been closed. is rapidly en-
Ihrging, and the child will soon be able 70
use the defective eve.
The second experiment proves that the
conscious mental state acts upon the sub
conscious mental state. The child
bIndfolded and asked to think i6tently Of
some name. Dr. White slipped a pencil
and pap-r into her hand. which was fest-
ing on the table. After a moment the pen
Gil hand began TO write. The pencil and
paper were removed and the chiId's band
ages tak,-n frou ber eyes. The girl vas
asked what she had wTitten, but she s33d
she had written nothing. she did not
know :kar a pencil had been in her hand.
nor that her hand had moved She adj
mitte1 the name on the paper was the one
She had been thinking Of No bipartisan
vas used in this experiment.
At DIR Whites suggestion enc II the gen
tIemen present chose ser.encs. which DR.
White npeated to her several lines until
her subconscious mental nst,Te lad il
rneu1oriZed She was hen told That she
had lost the feeling Of ber right hand and
arm and awakened. she appeared v holly
conscious Of everything, but had no feeling
IN the right arm.
The other physicians engaged the girl in
conversation. and he readily answered. their
questions. While she was thus talking
with the others DR. White. questioning the
subconSCious side OF her nature. asked her
TO wnte something, and instantly the sen-
tenCe learned a few minutes before was
written with the senseIess hand. hut all
the while she was talking with the others
she was asked where her right hand
was She did not know What was it do
ing? She did not know The paper and
pencil were removed and she was un-
blindfOIded. The sentence was read TO
her rroT the paper as she had Just written
it, but she did not remember OF ever hear
ing il before, nor was she aware that she
had written anything. although she cd
niitted the writing looked something Ike
hers
Dora" said the operator. Il want you
to see that man over there See, he is
tanning himself. Now I am going to
wake you again. and then Won rap on the
table I want you 70 go and take that fan
away from him " She was again awakened
and soon entered into conversation with
all OF the doctors. unbesitatingfy answer
ing any of their questions She was asked
tC point out Dr. Farnham, but she had
never heard Of him In the midst OF the
conversation DR.. White raped on the ia
ble, and instantly she arose and went
and took the fan frOm Dr. Farnham' hand
An instant later she was completely sur
priSed at her action Asked why she had
done it. she replied that she could not tell.
except that an impulse Just seizesI her to
do it.
DI. White used this rast experiment to
point out the Importance Of the expert
mental study of impulses originating In
this way and the possible rel 4tion between
such impulses aud those which result in
criminal actions or suicidal or hornicidaI
impulses DR.. White explained that this
girl is rapidly improving from her mental
disorder, for which she is confined IN the
hospital