New-York tribune., 1900-08-19
-AFSTERIOUs DIsAPPE4R4NcES -
En- ACCOUNTED FOR AS a FORM OF
EPILEPSY
EPILEPSY

EPILEPSY
Il al the cases in which men and women
wander away from their homes uj+bou+ aDv
p0't-'-l@F reason and without giving any notice
- ---1--'-S were reported TO the newspapers oc-
e-sl'T2I disappearances Of prominent persons
YOU'D not cause SO much public interest Proroi-
he1t physicians who have made a special studv
Or nerve and brain diseases say that III. nh
Nc has no idea how many persons take nm
conscious trips OF greater or less extent and on
E7s@-nlhs consciousness wonder how they got
"nere they are They are generally unable to
remember anything which happened in the in
term It is one Of the wonders Of brain inves-
ug2uon that men can move about under the
control Of a sub-consciousness and appear per
fectly rational among strangers.
Medical investigation has shown thai sucb ar
tacks are chiefly the result Of epiIeDsv aItboreb
he victim may have shown no previous signs
eI the disease. and may never have suffered
a eplieptie fl HystericaI persons are often
Affected in e similar manner as the result of
some mental shock such as the sudden loss of
money or the death Of a relative The effect
u the same whether the trouble is caused by
epilepsy or sudden mental shock The person
boSes consciousness and q sub-consciousness is
set up The change is often accompanied by
absolute failure Of memory. which frequently
causes the sufferer TO forget his own name
When consciousness Is regained there is not
The faIntest memory OF anything which hap
pened after the attack came on
The state Of sub-cOnsciousness may last for
few hours OF for several months a year ago
. man was found wandering about the streets
81 Binghamron. N 7, in sub-cOnscious state
BE was taken TO a neighboring insane asylum
and received the best Of treatment. but II has
been impossible to re-establish the conscious ego
Eor has the man been able 10 remember his
name A travelling magician gave an enter
eainnent in BlnghamtOn q few months ago and
consented TO go 10 the asylum TO entertain the
Inmates He had performed a number Of clever
tricks when the victim Of lost memory arose
n his seat and insisted on being allowed to
khOW his skill He performed the tricks which
ne sleight-of-hand artist had executed and did
sthers which were much more difficult Il was
evident that at one time he had been in the bust
Hess, but the clew did not result in establish
ing MS Identity.
Another case Of this nature recently re
ported by a London medical society. well
known English business man lost consciousness
n Paris He came into his right mind several
months later II the stateroOm Of q steamer
which vas entering Bombay Why he had
undertaken the trip 10 India what he had
done in Paris was beyond MS memory. The
passengers told him that he had behaved in
seemingly rational manner. This case was due
70 epilepsy
Nearly every New-York physician who is a
spec.alist II nervous diseases give in
Etances OF strange cases Of this sort which
have come under his personal observation
Only z few weeks ago a prominent business
mar had an experience Of this kind which
has caused him considerable worry He left his
office one afternoon intending to go home
Three DAYS later he found himself on his knees
N : church in Pittsburg He must have acted
;, q rational manner as ne had not attracted
undue attention
4 Young married couple visited prominent
,p,-zicfan a short time ago to have the wife
examined as TO her sanity. Both were con-
y.nced that she was insane She had wandered
.yvav from home on the West Side, and re-
gafned consciousness in East Side street
Ta7rs afrerward and several miles away from
~ residence She was also troubled at times
E5tb An imperative impulse" which caused
be- "a attempt her husbands life Both Of
these cases were due to epilepsy In q mild form.
:, escb 2 treatment calculated TO build up the
genera system was given, and the patients
xe-e then treated as in ordinary cases Of
epilepsy. Hopes are entertained OF permanent