The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-04-04

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
ognize the face as his, exclaining: my
God, that is not mel" and pointed to q
portrait on the wall, 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, it was
made apparent how complete the lapse
| of memory had been. When ne saw a
| trolley car he wanted to know what
| kind of wagons they We're, running
without horses. The information that
| they were electric cars was practically
no information, so far as he was con-
| cerned, and it necessitated an expla-
| nation of how they We're operated be-
| fore he could be made to understand.
When he called on Dr. Small his
| ignorance of recent events was again
| shown. At the doctors front door he
| vainly tried to find the knob by which
| to ring the bell and a woman who came
up the steps behind him showed him
how to ring the electric bell. This, too,
the doctor had to explain and he dimly
remembered having once seen electric
lights in New York He did not know
one of his neighbors, with many of
whom he had been on intimate terms
and when, after he regained his
strength, it was proposed that he re-
sumo his occupation Of painting he as
tonished the doctor and his family by
saying that he knew nothing about
painting, and that he had never been
painter, Notwithstanding that he fol-
lowed this occupation for over ten
years. OF the streets and city he dis
played complete ignorance, not even
knowing the name of the latter.
An astonishing feature of the case Is
that, according to Mrs. Washburn's
statement, during their entire married
life she never noticed anything wrong
with him. He acted nationally at all
times, never smoked, drank but very
little and, until the time his Illness be-
gan, had always worked hard and pro-
vided we'll for his family. He never did
anything to lead her to believe that he
was not In possession of his senses and
her surprise was probably greater than
his when he recovered consciousness
and did not recognize her.
About three weeks ago DIR. Small |
turned the case over to DR.. Edward e. |
Mayer, specialist on mental and nerv-
Gus diseases al the West Penn hospital, |
and also assistant professor of the |
medical department of the Western |
University of Pennsylvania. Both I
physicians were at first reticent re-
garding the case, and it was only after !
being shown that it had already be-
come public property, and that reliable
statements from them were better than
the version Of others, that they consent
ed to talk about the case
DR.. Small said he had been treating
Mr. Washburn for hepatic abscess for
over year. He seemed to suffer great
pain in his right side,' said the doc
tor, and whenever he was touched
he would fairly howl with pain. When !
he lost consciousness l thought it was
the result of the absceSs again breaking
and was amazed, after his recovery of
that he did not feel the
slightest pain. AS soon as / arrived
At the house / began examining him.
He did not recognize me as anyone he
lad ever seen before, and thought in
suited him when I said that he had an
lbscess. He insisted that there was
laYoIl ueoHqndeI ann IoJ HIoloIA pspIo
handled him bit more severely than
Usual he made no complaint of any
pain. Nor has he done so since the re-
,overy Of his memory. He is a man
% no. tp+a Al
lis children, who range from three to
line years of age, are also bright, not
showing the slightest trace of there
'haing been anything wrong with their
ather.'
DR.. Mayer, though at first dlsinclined
o talk, said: Il took hold Of the case
hree weeks ago Amnesia, the COM
,laint with which he was a icted, is
lot uncommon. 1t is often seen in in
ane cases, which present alterations
n personality and double personality;
two minds in the same body.
'ases of double consciousness, in which
he one Is suddenly obliterated, to re-
ppear after lapse of many years, are
cry rare There is only one case on ii
acord of sudden and total loss of mem t.
ry. This is the case of Pastor Hanna, Y
aported by DR. Boris Sidis, Of New 4,
ork, and published in his valuable N
ook on Psychology of Suggestion NJ
Mr. Washburn's case Is not one of
Jmplete amnesia, as he always re- =
his name. The case is of "
reat psychologist interest, as it is one
the few that enable us to study the
ynthesis of consciousness and the q
y