Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-03
OF STARS.
MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Prosress
in Field, Laboratory
and Study.
By THOMAS r. HENRY.

By THOMAS R. HENRY.
An actual Rip Van Winkle--a man to
whom 20 years of life are q complete
blank both to himself and everybody
else-has just been discharged from a
United States Veterans Administration
hospital.
The man is a Spanish War veteran,
So years old. In the winter of 1912,
according to his own story, he was held
up by thugs in Salt Lake City and
knocked unconscious with a blow over
the head. He recovered consciousness
IN small city police station with a
cracked skull and violent headache
20 years later. He had absolutely no
recollection of anything that had hap
pened in the interval, and at once started
to complain bitterly of the robbers who
had assailed him.
Actually the police of small Oregon
city had found ragged tramp trying
to build a fire in freight car. When
he resisted, one Of them had struck him
with his club, knocking him senseless.
The man talked nationally enough and
seemed to be mentally normal. But he
knew absolutely nothing of the World
War, the great depression, or anything
else, that had happened in the world
since the hold-up in Salt Lake City. All
sorts Of tests were made to test the
actuality of this memory blank and all
the physicians who have examined him
are entirely convinced that it is real
even though they are not agreed on the
truth of his story. Careful examination
OF his skull does not show the slightest
trace of the blow he says he got in
Utah and the physicians believe this
may have been purely imaginary.
At any rate, according to DR.. Chester
c. Adams Of the Veterans Administra-
ton Hospital at Augusta, Ca, to which
the man was eventually transferred, it
is the longest case of amnesia in medical
history. Such blanks are quite common.
Nearly every day police pick up some
body with no recollection of who he is
or how he got there But such cases are
almost never Of more than few days
duration and the longest hitherto record
ed only lasted three years.
The generally accepted theory for this
phenomenon is that it is an attempt to
escape from some uncomfortable circum-
stances. 1t is convenient way out for
persons to run from an accumulation of
bills, nagging family, or a guilt COM
pick, without being held legally &C
countable. When they conveniently re-
cover consciousness they are objects of
pity rather than rebuke, which is Just
what they wanted all the time, The
theory is that all this is done uncon-
sciously. 1t would be very difficult to
rake" case Of amnesia before even
mediocre psychiatrist.
Occasionally such fight from reality
may start with blow over the head
in an accident, but the blow is believed
never to be the real cause. It is the
excuse to run which the unconscious
sell has been awaiting. But this ac-
cepted theory seems to fall down badly
IN this case, DR.. Adams saws.
Another explanation is the strange
mental disease catalonia, a variety of
dementia precox. Catatonics have long
periods, sometimes extending over years,
OF apparent stupor in which they seem
10 nave no associations with what is
going on about them. This man is de-
scrloed as an "aimless drifter" with
some traits which would be associated
with catatonic type of personality.
But II this is the true explanation it
must have been an hitherto unheard of
type OF catalonia in which the victim.
while preserving complete oblivion to
the past, was able to adjust himself to
the present and get along without at
tracing attention to himself.
During the 20 years there is no record
that ne was ever in a hospital of any
kind. No trace could be found of a
ponce record or of any filing of his
f1ngerprints. All efforts to retrace his
path from that strange night in Salt
Lake City have proved fruitless, although
ne had left fairly clear path before
that. He himself has been unable tn
help. 1t was found easy to hypnotic
MIN and he would talk freely while in
the hypnotic sleep, but no amount of
suggestion could draw from him a word
about that strange 2O-year blank in his
memory. At one time he munbled
something about a Golden Crest bak-
cry" Various bakeries of this name
located over the country have no rec
ords OF such an employee. He also num-
bled something about sleeping on a
pile of rags"
Once he was given leave from the
hospital and had a second lapse of
memory. This, however, continued only
few hours.
1T is entirely possible" DR.. Adams
says, that this was 2o-year episode
IN malignant psychosis. It is the story
OF drifter who may have become dis
satisfied with his aimless existence and
sought refuge for 20 years in a dual
personality, only to be awakened from It
suddenly by the none too tender min
lstrations Of the police. 1t is reasonable
to picture him roaming the country
under another name and, although DOS
sibly queer, sufficiently stabilized mem
tally to continue an undisturbed exist.