The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-26
STRANGE CASE
OF LONDON GIRL
LapSeS From One Mental
State to Another, UnCon-
SCious of the Change.
BATTLES SKILL FOR YEARS
TEN SEPARATE AND DISTINCT
PERSONALITIES.

London, Aug Sit is believed the final
stage has been reached in the strange
psychological developments attending the
case of London girl who came TO be
known as ''the girl with ten personalities, -
and who presented phenomena which baf-
fled medical authorities throughout the
world.
The case was made public two years
ago. and was the subject of widespread
discussion. for. while instances of the
sort are not uncommon. several having
been reported in America, this is believed
to be the most remarkable of the kind.
X. Albert Wilson, a brain specialist of
high standing in London, who has had
the girl who now is % years of age, I'M
der observation since she was 10, an
nounces she now mas settled down into
what may be termed a permanent stage.
Trouble Starts With Influenza.
When the girl was Is she contracted a
particularly severe form of influenza. Re
covering, her mind became a blank and
before the eyes Of DR.. Wilson she devel-
oped ten absolutely distinct and clearly
recognizable personalities. They alter
mated without any regular sequence, the
patient betraying -dees the ACCOMPLISH
ment of which in any other of the nine
stages she was entirely ignorant She had
no sense of the lapse of time between any
of the personalities.
In one instance she lapsed from one TO
another in the evening when the lamps
were lighted, and on recurring to the
flrst stage several months later her first
question was: why aren't the lamps
llghted?" although at the time IL was mid
day. People she met in one personality
were complete strangers to her In another.
Ihese changes always were accompanied
by completely altered facial expressions.
Being taken to the seaside while in one
phase. she was taught to swim. but on re-
visiting the spot while in another condi-
.
before and was terrified at the idea of
entering the water. DR.. Wilson appeared
different person to her in each of her
personalities. She wrote letters in COM
pletely different handwriting, varying
from babyish scrawl to the penmanshtp
Of an educated person. While in one stage
she could draw beautiful intricate figures
but in all the other nine she was unable
TO trace even the crudest outlines.
Tells of Various States.
DR.. Wilson has drawn out a list of pa
TENTS of the ten different personalities,
with their characteristics. as follows:
First-A state of intense expectancy and
fear. She shrank even from her parents,
hiding her face when anyone approached.
SecOnd-She could not understand, but
was more intelligent. She called herself a
thing
Third-In this stage she was more edu-
Gated and showed ability to read and
write. although occasionally what she de- |
scribed as naughty man took possession |
OF noT mind ana she would bite her /
clothes. She enjoyed thunderstorms, al |
though she expressed terror of them at |
other times
Fourth-She became a deaf mute and |
talked on her fingers. being totally I'M
conscious of loud noises close to her ear.
Fffth-She suddenly announced: Il have /
been here only three days and l am only l
tFiree days old" She said flames of fire /
&ere black and that a fat pug dog was
Jim She spelled all words backwards |
bat wrote forwards
SiXth-She had to be taught at this stage |
TO read and write. At times she complete |
ly lost the use of her hands.
Seventh-She referred to herself while in |
this stage as Adjuste Uneza and was to- /
tally unfamiliar with Wilson's house /
which she had been in many times She 4
remembered and described, however, an |
Incident which occurred many years pre-
viously.
Eighth-For half an hour one day she
lapsed into stage three and prepared tea |
for the family, but was completely un-
conscious of having done so Immediately /
afterwards.
Ninth-She endeavored to hit people with
a strap and was unable to walk properly,
maneuvering about with a chair
Tenth-She developed into a blind i'm
beetle, seized a piece OF paper. and drew
many intricate figures of designs on fash
ion plates. If a pencil line was drawn
across her picture she detected il by
touch and rubbed it out. She knew moth
ing about drawing in her normal state
nor in any of the other nine personalities.