Evening star., 1909-05-13
PUZZLE FOR DOCTORS
CannotAccount for Disappear
ance of a Patient.
BREAKS UP CURIOUS TEST
Hypnotism Tried on Him to Restore
Memory.
PARTIAL SUCCESS ACHIEVED
surmises Regarding Charles osten,
Inmate Of Grace Hospital Of
New Haven.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW HAVEN, May 13.-Sdence may be
baffled In the case Of Charles Osten. the
mysterious patient who has been at Grace
Hospital since early last December. by
the patients disappearance. Osten mas
left the hospital and it was stated there
today that It was not known whether ne
would return. It is not known whether
he wandered away in q At OF mental alb
erration or whether he decided to strike
out for himself and try to find work
somewhere.
Osten has chafed under his retirement
from labor and has been depressed at
times because he was unable to earn his
living. It was however, felt at the hos
pital that he was not rugged enough TO
take a regular position. and he was given
a home at that institution for the pres
ent. He has occasionally been at homes
Of a number of New Haven people doing
odd jobs, such as light gardening. He en-
loved the work and there was tendency
on his part to overwork.
He was in practically every instance al
lowed to leave the hospital only with an
attendant, although he occasionally went
alone from the hospital building on West
Chapel street down to the ONCE OF Dr.
Diefendorf, the Yale medical school ex-
pert on mental UlSSdScSS VIII AuS OCCh
studying the case.
Osten Disappears.
Last Saturday he started for the doc
tors office, but did not arrive. Fearing
that he had wandered away an attempt
was made to trace him, but without sue
cess 1t was thought at the hospital that
he might find his way back to 1t In two
or three days, but he has not done SO
and apprehension is felt for MIN, al
though the authorities there are still In
hope that he will return. DR.. Ddefen0orf
was out of town today. One theory that
is held relative to Osten is that he may
have taken it into his head to go to New
York city.
his pocket when he left here. He had
made numerous handsome designs for
New Haven people and firms which were
appropriate for lace curtains or other
house decorations and he had been given
small sums by the purchasers. His work
in this field was exceedingly artistic and
testified to his skill as designer of tai
ent and education. In every respect he
has appeared as a German OF culture
and character.
Wide Interest in His Case.
His case has been made of worldwide
Importance in mental medical science by
the fact that hypnotism was tried upon
him to attempt to restore his lost men,
ory and to place his identity. Under hyp-
notism he told Of living at different times
on 42d street between 7th and 9Th ave-
nues, and on 22d street between I'd and
Sd avenues, in New York city.
1t is possible that In flash OF memory
he has recalled the places and has gone
back to New York.
He had made many friends while at the
hospital, New Haven people of promi-
nence taking a kind interest in his case
and finding him intelligent aand Of good
breeding. although a veil hung over his
memory Of events before he came to this
city. The veil was never lifted except to
the degree Of obtaining from him state
ments by hypnotism. Addresses Of rela-
tives given by him while in this state
we're looked up with care and infinite
pains taking by the Grace Hospital au-
thorities but failed to shed any light on
his identity.
Osten did not recover from the severe
blow on the head which caused his loss
of memory, and 1t 10 feared that he will
suffer from the loss Of care and material
comforts provided for him at Grace Hos
pital
1t is understood that the experiments of
DR.. Diefendorf have been continued to
the present time and case Of much
benefit to medical science has been In
terrupted by the disappearance of the
patient.