Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-06-04
LOST PERSONALITY.
some Remarkable Cases Of Lapscs
of Memory.
tNs~ IEorS rimss.l

tion to one OF the strsngest malsdies
known to medicine. Such cases are not
extremely rare, but each case IL peculiar
and seems to be enshroaded ln a mystery
OF its own. Medical science docs not give
the precise explanation OF it. but IL has
preserved records of the most extraordi-
nary cases, some OF which appear beyond
belief.
DIR. +. Elliot, a celebrated French writer,
concludes that loss Of memory IL due to
cere bral shock which mskes Ii Impossible
for the brain to register and conserve a
record OF events, and the presumption Is
thar the record OF events which tie brain
stored prior to the disturbance is uasssil-
able because consciousness ~ lost at the
same time as memory. "The difficulty
is in explaining" says he, "why, In the
period following the attack, conscious
ness fails TO a minimum. Neither ply
siology nor psychology Is able to solve
the problem.
He cites the case OF a magistrate who
was attending . meeting OF q learned
society In Paris, ana who LETT the room
abruptly In the midst Of discussion and
walked a. far as the quay. He returned
TO bis place and again took part in the
discussion without knowing that he had
been absent. 1t struck DIR. Ribot ~
peculiar that the magistrate, who was
apparently unconscious for halt an hour,
appeared in the streets TO be normal and
was able to avoid injury to himself at street
crossings where traffic was congcsted.
He concludes that consciousness lie the
result of nervous state, possibly OF the
nerves OF sight or feeling, which give
impressions, and these nerves become
inseusate.
illustrating how variable in duration
and effect are the attacks be reports these
cases.
An educated man, thirty one years old.
found himself at his desk, feeling rather
confused, bat not i'll. He remembered
having ordered his dinner, but not OF eat
ing or paying for 1t. He returned to the
dining room, learned that he had both
eaten and paid, showing no signs of being
Ia, and had set out for tis Office.
A young woman married toa man she
loved psssionAieiy lost recollection Of all
events occurring since her marriage, In
clnding the ceremony. One year Of her
life, beginning with her marriage day. re-
manned forever an entire blank TO her, but
in all other respects her mind was normal
In relation to past and present events.
She was convinced by her parents and
others that she had a husband and son,
and she accepted them both, but never
knew how she had become possessed OF
either OF them.
There is an old record in the annals of a
wealthy man who lost consciousness of
himself and wandered away. In a strange
place be took new name. not knowing
his own or where he came from. and pros
pered there, married, and raised a family.
Then a recollection of his former self came
to him, and the self OF late years became
entirely oblitersted. lie disappeared
from his second home and returned to his
first home, where he becaue reunited
with his first wife and her children.
After q while he again lost conscious
ness OF his original self, and returned to
his second state. Then he went back to
his second home and his second family
and took up the thread OF his life where
be mad broken 1t Oh. This happened several
times, ne alternating between one family
and the other, his daily habits and mode
OF existence and his personal characters
tics being entirely different in each place.
There was abundant proof that he vas
utterly unconscious when In one state of
his existence in the other. His periods OF
transit sometimes lasted several years.
In all, the most famous case In medical
history around New York, was that OF
Rev. Thomas Carson Hanna, who, in at
tempting 10 aiight from his carriage on
April is, 1897, lost his footing and fell
headforemost. He lived In New York and
on Long Island. When he met the acci-
dent he was 1t his Long Island home. He
was picked up by his brother unconscious.
When he awoke in bed at home be at
tempted to fight with one OF his physi-
clans, and 1t took several men to hold him
down in bed. He always had been .
strong man, but now his strength seemed
herculean, andlit was with great effort that
he was overpowered. After being strapped
down, the thought seemed to come to him
that 1t was useless to resist the superior
force against him, and at once he became
as quiet as lamb and made no de-
| monstrstion, and the straps were removed
| forever after.
"Aithough Mr.. Hanna's eyes were open
and clear" says DIR. Sidis, his chronicier,
land he was looking about him in an APP
parently interested and curious way,
when spoken to he did not understand
the meaning Of Q word. 1t was not only
that he had lost the faculty of speech, but
he had also lost all power OF recognition
OF objects and persons.
| The senstions of hunger were present
in all their intensity, rs we afterward
learned, but could not be interpreted by
him, and he certainly did not know how
to appease his appetite. When food was
offereH him ne did naf nnd.~nt.ua -.