Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-03
FORGOTTEN FLIGHTS
BY H. Addington Bruce

ar interest psychologically and socially
\ as well as medically, and of COM
moner occurrence than would be sup
posed, Is the phenomenon to which the
name of fugue has been given. Its charac-
ter may be best indicated by citing an illus
trative instance
Ih1s instance was narrated to me by the
tugue victim himself. Ordinarily man who
lelt alconol severely alone, there were times
When craving for it took possession of
hlm He would then drink until he became
i'll. 'ii 'io 'o'"ile
During one of these periodical debauches
he disappeared. Nothing was heard of him
for several days, when word came that he
had been seen in a distant city. A friend
went there, found him, and brought him
home, in an exhausted and almost stupor-
GUS condition.
Questioned later, he had not the least
recollection Of having been away 1t be-
came evident that without conscious knoWl-
edge of what he doing, he had bought
ticket for the city where he was found,
had journeyed thither and had wandered
about until seen my some one who knew
him.
This is typical fugue or to give 1t a
name more readily understood, forgotten
flight The man who figured in it is only
one or numerous drinkers who have SINH
larly gone roaming without being aware
of the roaming-and, for that matter with
out behaving during the roaming in such
way as to cause others to suspect that
they do not know what they are doing.
Ordinarily what happens is that day
comes when, suddenly after a nights
sleep the state responsible for the fugue
passes away, and they discover to their
amazement and alarm that they are far
from home. The days intervening since
they left home a blank to them, and
usually remain lost to memory.
Nor is it only under the influence OF al
hal hat ma
known to result occasionally from a physi-
cal injury-such as a fall a blow caus-
ing head Injury. Sometimes they are in
cidental to epilepsy, an irresistible impulse
to wander, with forgetfulness of identity,
taking the place of an ordinary epileptic at
tack. A fugue thus caused was reported
from Canadian town only the other day,
the victim wandering to Terre Haute, Ind.
Or, again, fugues may occur to persons
who, without being either epileptics or al
coholics, have been subjected to some Sc
we're emotional stress. In fact, there is
reason for believing that the great majority
OF fugues thus originate, and represent
what psychologists call defense reactions
Because of an Unborn acquired inabil-
lty to endure the strain of a great grief
disappointment other psychic shock,
there is loss Of self-awareness coupled with
an intense desire to get away bodily as we'll
as physically from the scene of the emo
tional stress.
Departure follows, under an assumed
name, and a new life is begun in some
more or less remote place. The new life
may continue for a few days, a few weeks
or, in exceptional cases, for years. After
which, as in fugues due to alcohol, epilepsy
or injury, there is a sudden return to aware
ness of the old life and the true identity
1t is all very INSTRUMENTATION very sad,
particularly when, during the fugue state
acts chance to be done causing legal COM
plications. Recognition of the fact that
there are sub things as fugues thus be-
comes doubly important.
Copyright, 1920