The suburban citizen., 1901-05-18
DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS
THE REMARKABLE CASE OF Mr..
WASH5URN, OF PENNSYLVANIA


most remarkable known to the medical
profession is that Of Charles Wash
burn, aged forty-one years, who, with
his family, resides at 02 Charles street.
Allegheny. Mr.. Washburn has just
recovered his memory after a lapse
of seventeen years, and since the re-
covery can remember practically moth
ing that occurred during that time.
Mr.. Washburns native home was in
Eastern Pennsylvania but in what
town he has not yet been able to re-
call. According to his statement to his
doctors, made since the recovery of his
memory, he left for the West in 1884,
after the death Of his father, to look
up some property that had been left
to him. He remembers leaving Chi
cago on the Chicago and Rock Island
Railroad, but can only recall that the
train was wrecked n short time after
leaving Chicago. He remembers a
crash and the sensation of being
hurled through the air, but from that
time until he recovered his memory, a
few weeks ago, his mind is blank, or
was at the time Of his recovery.
Mrs. Washburn says she met her
husband twelve years ago, few days
after his arrival in the city, and two
years later married him. But Mr.
Washburn on the recovery Of his mem.
ory knew nothing Of his marriage or
Of the fact that he was the father OF
four children. He did not recognize
any of the people he has known for
the past ten years, he did not know
anything of the neighborhood in which
he has resided for the same time, nor
did he know anything of his former oc-
cupation, painting, nor his present one,
the grocery business. Electric cars
were to him as something springing
suddenly from the earth, and he had
but dim recollection of what electric
lights were. An electric bell was also
a novelty, with the use Of which he
was entirely unacquainted. The tall
buildings of the city amazed him, and
the sights on every hand were as
strange to him as to Il newly-born
babe.
For the past year and half Mr.
Washburn has apparently been III.
This caused his retirement from his
former occupation, a contracting paint
er, and he embarked in the grocery
business, conducting a small store at
~ Taggart street DR.. Stanley G.
Small, Of Taggart street, had been his
physician and was treating him 70"
hepatic Assesses or absccss Of the l'v-
er. The frequent bursting of the
abcesses caused great pain.
On the night Of February % he was
walking the floor Of his dining room
suffering intensely, A daughter, who
was in the room with him, accidental
ly overturned a lamp. Mr.. Washburn
tried to grasp it as it fell, but as he
reached for it he murmured, "Oh, my
head" and fell to the floor uncon-
sclous. He was Immediately put to
bed and DR.. Small summoned. But
all the efforts of the doctor were ap-
parently without result, as Mr.. Wash
burn remained unconscious until the
next evening.
When he regained consciousness the
next day the events of the past seven
teer years were entirely forgotten. He
regained consciousness at the point
where his memory had left him and
his first words were:
"Was l much hurt?'
Mrs. Washburn was in the room Nt
the time and replied in the negative.
Then he replied as to what hospital
he was in, and asked his wife il she
was the nurse. She laughingly replied
that she was his wife, whereat he
grew indignant and told her that she
was taking liberties with him. lie
then demanded to see the doctor, and
to humor him Mrs. Washburn sent for
DR.. Small While awaiting the doctor,
Mrs. Washbuln again engaged her
husband in conversation, calling him
by his first name and telling him that
he was the father Of four children.
"I'm not married. he replied. "Nice
thing for a man twenty-fOur years of
age to wake up after a nights sleep
and to be told that he is the father Of
four children"
DuC you are not young man." re-
piled his wife, and she handed him n
mirror. When he saw the reflection of
his face he acknowledged that he did
not look like a man of twenty-four
years of age, but still did not believe
that he was married. He did not rec
ognze the face as his, exclaiming:
my God, that is not me-" and pointed
to a portrait, taken about the time
Of his marriage. as his own. Then
Mrs. Washburn showed him their mar
riage certificate and brought in the
children, which convinced him Of the
truth Of her statement.
A few days later, when his condition
allowed OF his being taken out, 1t was
made apparent how complete the lapse
Of memory had been. When he saw a
trolley car he wanted to know what
kind of wagons they were, running
without horses. The information that
they We're electric cars was practical.
ly no information, so far as he was
concerned, and 1t necessitated an ey.
planation Of how they were operated
before he could be made to understand.