The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-25
Seems to Weary Of Heavy
Burden and LAY Down on
job Theory in Explana-
ton Of Strange Losses Of
Identity.

Can the human memory 20 on strike
leaving the other tangible and intangi.
BILE parts Of the mental and physica
| makeup to continue their ordinary work
| aday routine? VIII this explain the
strange disappearances and wanderings
about OF men and women which occur
SO frequently?
Does the memory get tired of being
| taxed so heavily, and when 1t sees that
no consideration is paid II and no allow
ance made for its fatigue does II de-
liberately pull its own machinery throt-
tie and retire to some nice spot of re-
Operative calm? Is this what happened
recently when 8. Frank Holley, an ac-
tive business man. was lost for an entire
month in New York. coming to his real
self in an uptown rooming house from
where he phoned his mourning rela-
tives that he was n the way home?
During that NOM of absence Hoiley
ate. drank. slept. walked and talked. He
may have made ankengagement with a
temporary memory ARrvaht. In fact he
must have done So because he had to
remember where he lived during this
stage and also recall the various neces-
stiles of continuity Incidental to daily
routine. But the knowledge of who he
was remained for a month big. dead
blank. Folks he met noticed nothing
strange about him. But there he was.
a walking attenuation so far as his iden-
tity and his business affairs were con-
cerned.
You could hardly call Holley's condi-
ton as one approximating trance.
which doctors sometimes call catalepsy.
In a trance there is no voluntary mo-
ton. Mental power is said to be sus-
pended. Put a patients arm or leg this
way or that way and the arm or leg will
remain that way unless the position de-
fies the laws of gravitation- The will
power actuating physical motion is gone.
Holley's wasn't. as his walking about
and eating and drinking proved. His
mental powers were in operation, as his
selecting and bargaining for his room
proved. Memory of his real self had
fed the human envelope. Was II be-
cause memory was tired and went on
strike:
Couldn't Forget Old Homestead.
In Chicago some time ago a girl eight
cen years of age developed most
peculiar trick OF memory. Her family
had removed from the South Side to the
vicinity Of Lincoln Park. From the very
first day after the removal the girl. VIII:
was private secretary to railroad
official deliberately took the car and
went to the old home. She sat on the
stoOp the nrst nlgnt arter removal until
neighbors noticed her strange action and
asked her why she did not go to her new
home. She looked at them in a dazed
way and shook her head uncomprehend-
ingly. A friend escorted her to the new
North Side home. There, when she saw
her mother and father. she burst into
hysterical tears. Then. after she had be-
come calm and had eaten her dinner, she
laughed at what she called her foolish
absent mindedness. Her parents laughed
too, as 1t seemed very plain that thaS
was all there was to the action.
But the next night the girl went to
the old house again and sat on the
stoop. looking down the street with a
strange far-away gaze. Her searching
father found her there two hours after
she was due at her North Side home.
The same thing occurred the third night
After that her father met her every
night at the Office where she was EN-.
ployed and escorted her home. Even
then. If her father did not keep her in
steady conversation from the moment
they left the ONCE. she would invoiun-
tarily tug at his arm to have him board
a car taking her TO the old home on the
South Side.
During the day her employer did not