anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第222部分

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　life。　But　when　at　the　end　of　an　hour　or　two　the　languor　reappeared；　and　she　returned　to　her　normal　melancholy　state；　she　could　not　recall　anything　that　had　happened　in　her　second；　or　joyous；　stage。　One　day；　just　after　passing　into　the　second　stage；　she　attended　the　funeral　of　an　acquaintance。　Returning　in　a　cab　she　felt　the　period　coming　on　which　she　calls　her　crisis　（normal　state）。　She　dozed　several　seconds；　without　attracting　the　attention　of　the　ladies　who　were　in　the　cab；　and　awoke　in　the　other　state；　absolutely　at　a　loss　to　know　why　she　was　in　a　mourning　carriage　with　people　who；　according　to　custom；　were　praising　the　qualities　of　a　deceased　person　whose　name　she　did　not　even　know。　Accustomed　to　such　positions；　she　waited；　by　adroit　questions　she　managed　to　understand　the　situation；　and　no　one　suspected　what　had　happened。　Once　when　in　her　abnormal　condition　she　discovered　that　her　husband　had　a　mistress；　and　was　so　overcome　that　she　sought　to　commit　suicide。　Yet　in　her　normal　mind　she　meets　the　woman　with　perfect　equilibrium　and　forgetfulness　of　any　cause　for　quarrel。　It　is　only　in　her　abnormal　state　that　the　jealousy　recurs。　As　the　years　went　on　the　second　state　became　her　usual　condition。　That　which　was　at　first　accidental　and　abnormal　now　constitutes　the　regular　center　of　her　psychic　life。　It　is　rather　satisfactory　to　chronicle　that　as　between　the　two　egos　which　alternately　possess　her；　the　more　cheerful　has　finally　reached　the　ascendant。〃

Jackson　reports　the　history　of　the　case　of　a　young　dry…goods　clerk　who　was　seized　with　convulsions　of　a　violent　nature　during　which　he　became　unconscious。　In　the　course　of　twenty…four　hours　his　convulsions　abated；　and　about　the　third　day　he　imagined　himself　in　New　York　paying　court　to　a　lady；　and　having　a　rival　for　her　favors；　an　imaginary　quarrel　and　duel　ensued。　For　a　half…hour　on　each　of　three　days　he　would　start　exactly　where　he　had　left　off　on　the　previous　day。　His　eyes　were　open　and　to　all　appearances　he　was　awake　during　this　peculiar　delirium。　When　asked　what　he　had　been　doing　he　would　assert　that　he　had　been　asleep。　His　language　assumed　a　refinement　above　his　ordinary　discourse。　In　proportion　as　his　nervous　system　became　composed；　and　his　strength　improved；　this　unnatural　manifestation　of　consciousness　disappeared；　and　he　ultimately　regained　his　health。

A　further　example　of　this　psychologic　phenomenon　was　furnished　quite　meetly　at　a　meeting　of　the　Clinical　Society　of　London；　where　a　well　known　physician　exhibited　a　girl　of　twelve；　belonging　to　a　family　of　good　standing；　who　displayed　in　the　most　complete　and　indubitable　form　this　condition　of　dual　existence。　A　description　of　the　case　is　as　follows：

〃Last　year；　after　a　severe　illness　which　was　diagnosed　to　be　meningitis；　she　became　subject　to　temporary　attacks　of　unconsciousness；　on　awakening　from　which　she　appeared　in　an　entirely　different　character。　In　her　normal　condition　she　could　read　and　write　and　speak　fluently；　and　with　comparative　correctness。　In　the　altered　mental　condition　following　the　attack　she　loses　all　memory　for　ordinary　events；　though　she　can　recall　things　that　have　taken　place　during　previous　attacks。　So　complete　is　this　alteration　of　memory；　that　at　first　she　was　unable　to　remember　her　own　name　or　to　identify　herself　or　her　parents。　By　patient　training　in　the　abnormal　condition　she　has　been　enabled　to　give　things　their　names；　though　she　still　preserves　a　baby…fashion　of　pronouncing。　She　sometimes　remains　in　the　abnormal　condition　for　days　together　and　the　change　to　her　real　self　takes　place　suddenly；　without　exciting　surprise　or　dismay；　and　she　forthwith　resumes　possession　of　her　memory　for　events　of　her　ordinary　life。　During　the　last　month　or　two　she　appears　to　have　entered　on　a　new　phase；　for　after　a　mental　blank　of　a　fortnight's　duration　she　awakened　completely　oblivious　of　all　that　had　happened　since　June；　1895；　and　she　alludes　to　events　that　took　place　just　anterior　to　that　date　as　though　they　were　of　recent　occurrence；　in　fact　she　is　living　mentally　in　July；　1895。　These　cases；　though　rare；　are　of　course　not　infrequently　met　with；　and　they　have　been　carefully　studied；　especially　in　France；　where　women　appear　more　prone　to　neurotic　manifestations。　The　hypothesis　that　finds　most　favor　is　that　the　two　halves　of　the　brain　do　not　work　in　unison；　in　other　words；　that　there　has　been　some　interference　with　the　connections　which　in　the　ordinary　normal　being　make　of　a　wonderful　composite　organ　like　the　brain　one　organic　whole。〃

Proust　tells　a　story　of　a　Parisian　barrister　of　thirty…three。　His　father　was　a　heavy　drinker；　his　mother　subject　to　nervous　attacks；　his　younger　brother　mentally　deficient；　and　the　patient　himself　was　very　impressionable。　It　was　said　that　a　judge　in　a　court；　by　fixing　his　gaze　on　him；　could　send　him　into　an　abnormal　state。　On　one　occasion；　while　looking　into　a　mirror　in　a　cafe；　he　suddenly　fell　into　a　sleep；　and　was　taken　to　the　Charite　where　he　was　awakened。　He　suffered　occasional　loss　of　memory　for　considerable　lengths　of　time；　and　underwent　a　change　of　personality　during　these　times。　Though　wide　awake　in　such　conditions　he　could　remember　nothing　of　his　past　life；　and　when　returned　to　his　original　state　he　could　remember　nothing　that　occurred　during　his　secondary　state；　having　virtually　two　distinct　memories。　On　September　23；　1888；　he　quarreled　with　his　stepfather　in　Paris　and　became　his　second　self　for　three　weeks。　He　found　himself　in　a　village　100　miles　from　Paris；　remembering　nothing　about　his　journey　thereto；　but　on　inquiry　he　found　that　he　had　paid　a　visit　to　the　priest　of　the　village　who　thought　his　conduct　odd；　and　he　had　previously　stayed　with　an　uncle；　a　bishop；　in　whose　house　he　had　broken　furniture；　torn　up　letters；　and　had　even　had　sentence　passed　upon　him　by　a　police　court　for　misdemeanor。　During　these　three　weeks　he　had　spent　the　equivalent　of　100；　but　he　could　not　recall　a　single　item　of　expenditure。　Davies　cites　a　remarkable　case　of　sudden　loss　of　memory　in　a　man　who；　while　on　his　way　to　Australia；　was　found　by　the　police　in　an　exhausted　condition　and　who　was　confined　in　the　Kent　County　Insane　Asylum。　He　suffered　absolute　loss　of　all　memory　with　the　exception　of　the　names　of　two　men　not　close　acquaintances；　both　of　whom　failed　to　recognize　him　in　his　changed　condition　in　confinement。　Four　months　later　his　memory　returned　and　his　identity　was　established。

In　the　Revue　Philosophique　for　1885　there　are　the　details　of　a　case　of　a　young　man　who　seemed　able　to　assume　six　states　of　what　might　be　fairly　called　different　personalities。　The　memories　attached　to　each　of　these　states　were　very　different；　though　only　one　was　completely　exclusive　of　the　others。　The　handwriting　varied　from　complete　competence　to　complete　incompetence。　His　character　varied　between　childish　timidity；　courteous　reserve；　and　reckless　arrogance；　and　to　four　of　his　conditions　there　was　a　form　of　hysteric　paralysis　attached。　Mere　suggestion　would　not　only　induce　any　one　of　these　varied　forms　of　paralysis；　but　also　the　memories；　capacities；　and　characters　habitually　accompanying　it。

A　young　man　named　Spencer；　an　inmate　of　the　Philadelphia　Hospital；　was　exhibited　before　the　American　Neurological　Society　in　June；　1896；　as　an　example　of　dual　personality。　At　the　time　of　writing　he　is　and　has　been　in　apparently　perfect　health；　with　no　evidence　of　having　been　in　any　other　condition。　His　faculties　seem　perfect；　his　education　manifests　itself　in　his　intelligent　performance　of　the　cleric　duties　assigned　to　him　at　the　hospital；　yet　the　thread　of　continuous　recollection　which　connects　the　present　moment　with　its　predecessorsconsciousness　and　memoryhas　evidently　been　snapped　at　some　point　of　time　prior　to　March　3d　and　after　January　19th；　the　last　date　at　which　he　wrote　to　his　parents；　and　as　if　in　a　dream；　he　is　now　living　another　life。　The　hospital　staff　generally　believe　that　the　man　is　not　〃shamming；〃　as　many　circumstances　seem　to　preclude　that　theory。　His　memory　is　perfect　as　to　everything　back　to　March　3d。　The　theory　of　hypnotism　was　advanced　in　explanation　of　this　case。

The　morbid　sympathy　of　twin　brothers；　illustrated　in　Dumas's　〃Corsican　Brothers；〃　has　been　discussed　by　Sedgwick；　Elliotson；　Trousseau；　Laycock；　Cagentre；　and　others。　Marshall　Hall　relates　what　would　seem　to　verify　the　Corsican　myth；　the　history　of　twin　brothers　nine　months　of　age；　who　always　became　simultaneously　affected　with　restlessness；　whooping　and　crowing　in　breathing　three　weeks　previous　to　simultaneous　convulsions；　etc。　Rush　describes　a　case　of　twin　brothers　dwelling　in　entirely　different　places；　who　had　the　same　impulse　at　the　same　time；　and　who　eventually　committed　suicide　synchronously。　Baunir　describes　a　similar　development　of　suicidal　tendency　in　twin　brothers。　A　peculiar　case　of　this　kind　was　that　of　the　twin　brothers　Laustand　who　were　nurses　in　a　hospital　at　Bordeaux；　they　invariably　became　ill　at　the　same　time；　and　suffered　cataract　of　the　lens　together。

Automatism　has　been　noticed　as　a　sequel　to　cranial　injuries；　and　Huxley　quotes　a　remarkable　case　reported　by　Mesnet。　The　patient　was　a　young　man　whose　parietal　bone　was　partially　destroyed　by　a　ball。　He　exhibited　signs　of　hemiplegia　on　the　right　side；　but　these　soon　disappeared　and　he　became　subject　to　periodic　attacks　lasting　from　twenty…four　to　forty…eight　hours；　during　which　he　was　a　mere　automaton。　In　these　attacks　he　walked　continually；　incessantly　moving　his　jaw；　but　not　uttering　a　word。　He　was　insensible　to　pain；　electric　shock；　or　pin…prick。　If　a　pen　was　placed　in　his　hand　he　would　write　a　good　letter；　speaking　sensibly　about　current　topics。　When　a　cigarette…paper　was　placed　in　his　hand　he　sought　his　tobacco　box；　and　adroitly　rolled　a　cigarette　and　lighted　it。　If　the　light　went　out　he　procured　another；　but　would　not　allow　another　to　substitute　a　match。　He　allowed　his　mustache　to　be　burned　without　resistance；　but　would　not　allow　a　light　to　be　presented　to　him。　If　chopped　charpie　was　put　in　his　pocket　instead　of　tobacco　he　knew　no　difference。　While　in　his　periods　of　automatism　he　was　in　the　habit　of　stealing　everything　within　his　grasp。　He　had　been　a　concert　singer；　and　a　peculiar　fact　was　that　if　given　white　gloves　he　would　carefully　put　them　on　and　commence　a　pantom