A man, about fifty years of age, forgot his own name. He was from time to time convinced that he was dead. He no longer recognised his immediate relatives. He continued fifteen days in this state, when he died of an attack of apoplexy. The post mortem examination revealed an extravasation of blood within one of the hemispheres of the brain. There was no other important cerebral lesion.*

A gentleman who had for many years been engaged in an arduous and painfully anxious contest for professional position and political advancement, struggling at the same time with great pecuniary embarrassments, whilst addressing one of the judges, suddenly lost all recollection of the facts embodied in his brief. He was immediately obliged to retire from the court and return to his chambers. Severe headache ensued, accompanied by distressing nausea, terminating in a violent paroxysm of vomiting. Other symptoms denoting considerable head disorder then appeared. Under prompt treatment he recovered, and was able to resume, in a few weeks, his professional duties. On three subsequent occasions he experienced the same sudden loss of memory. This gentleman eventually died of softening of the brain, causing imbecility of mind.†

Cases, however, occur of loss of memory connected with slight sympathetic disturbances of the cerebral functions, dependent upon disorder of the general health, which are amenable to judicious remedial treatment. John Hunter

* Andral's “ Clinique."

"Amnesia always indicates preceding disorders of the brain, especially of the anterior lobes, or very depressed powers. In acute disorders, it generally betokens a fatal termination, if not an instantaneous crisis; in chronic diseases, for the most part, it indicates incurability; or, when it occurs suddenly in epileptic and hysterical patients, an immediately approaching violent paroxysm. Partial amnesia (forgetfulness of some things) indicates a probably violent, but not always permanent, effect on the brain."-Feuchtersleben's " Medical Psychology," p. 194.

was subject to an affection of the kind. Sir Everard Home says, of this illustrious physiologist and surgeon, "that he was, on one occasion, on a visit at the residence of a friend. He did not know in what part of the house he was, nor even the name of the street when he was told, nor where his own home was. He had not

a conception of anything existing beyond the room in which he was, and yet he was perfectly conscious of his loss of memory. He was sensible to various kinds of impressions, and therefore looked out of the window, although rather dark, to see if he could be made conscious of the situation of the house. The loss of memory gradually subsided, and in a few hours it was perfectly restored."

In some cases, temporary attacks of loss of memory are caused by excessive animal indulgences, self-abuse, intemperance, debaucheries, injudicious use of mercurials, exhausting discharges, and in one instance that came under my observation, the impairment of memory was clearly the result of arsenical medicine incautiously administered for the cure of an obstinate cutaneous disease.

Intemperance in eating has been known to impair the memory. It is said by Suetonius that the Roman Emperor Claudius lost his memory so entirely from this cause, that he not only forgot the names and persons of those to whom he wished to speak, but even of what he intended to say when attempting to engage in conversation.*

A lady, after a protracted labour, suffered a severe attack of uterine hemorrhage, and her life, for nearly a week, was despaired of. The loss of blood that occurred reduced her to a condition of extreme vital prostration and mental depression. It was necessary for the nurse

By an old Spanish law no person was admitted into the witness-box to give evidence in a disputed legal case, who was proved to indulge in habits of intemperance, as an excessive use of stimulants was considered to weaken and destroy the memory.

to feed and attend to her like a child. When she was able to articulate, her husband was astonished to find that her memory was paralysed! She had forgotten where she was residing, who her husband was, how long she had been ill, the names of her children, and in fact, her own name was obliterated from her recollection! She was unable to call anything by its right appellation. In attempting to do so she made the most singular mistakes. She had been in the habit, previously to her illness, of talking in French more than English (her husband being a native of France), but whilst in the state of mind described, she appeared to have lost all knowledge of French, for when addressed by her husband in that language she did not appear to have the slightest comprehension of what he was saying, although she could speak English without much difficulty. A period of nearly seven or eight weeks elapsed before the memory began to improve, and it was not until the expiration of some months that her mind appeared to regain its original strength.

Sir H. Holland refers to his own case, as an example of transient failure of memory resulting from bodily fatigue. He says, "I descended on the same day, two very deep mines in the Harz mountains, remaining some hours underground in each. While in the second mine, and exhausted both from fatigue and inanition, I felt the utter impossibility of talking longer with the German Inspector who accompanied me. Every German word and phrase deserted my recollection, and it was not until I had taken food and wine, and been some time at rest, that I regained them."*

A gentleman whose mental and physical powers had been severely exercised, suddenly lost all recollection of recent events. His memory appeared to be para

Mental Pathology," by Sir H. Holland, Bart., M.D., D.C.L., p. 167.

lysed. Whilst engaged in active conversation he was able, by a strong effort of the will, to retain possession of the ideas suggested by others to his mind, but if there were the slightest interruption, even to the extent of a minute, in the conversation, he lost all recollection of what he had previously been saying! This gentleman had been living for some weeks below par, with the view of enabling him to perform an amount of urgent mental work, requiring for its execution the lengthened concentration of a clear and vigorous intellect. He had been in the habit of drinking a fair portion of wine, but had unwisely abandoned the use of stimulants, fancying that by so doing he would be better fitted for clear-headed mental occupation. Under my advice he lived generously, took iron tonics, quinine, and zinc, and resumed his daily quantity of wine. This treatment eventually restored his memory to a state of health.

I have known other instances of temporary loss of memory cured within a short period by a free exhibition of tonics and stimulants. In these cases the brain is generally in a starved and impoverished condition (owing to poverty of blood), and suffers from a state of innervation and inanition. A gentleman, well known for his intense passion for field-sports (living, it may be said, upon the saddle during the greater part of the year), frequently complained of transient attacks of loss of memory after a hard day's run with the hounds. His remedy for this affection was half-a-pint to a pint of port wine, which he was in the habit of occasionally drinking at a draught! The effect of this heroic stimulating dose upon the depressed energy of the brain was magical. The memory immediately recovered its vigorous activity.

In more chronic cases of loss of memory, a persevering use of iron combined with small doses of strychnine, the sulphate of copper, cod-liver oil, quinine, minute

doses of phosphorus, the shower-bath, electricity applied locally to the head, as recommended by Dr. Darwin in his "Zoonomia," all, according to circumstances, are found beneficial, provided no serious extent of acute organic lesion has taken place in the brain, or the attack of loss of memory has not followed paralysis or apoplexy. But, even in these apparently hopeless cases, much good may be accomplished, when all active head symptoms have subsided, by a course of tonic and stimulating treatment.

A clergyman, between forty and fifty years of age, was actively employed in reading with two young gentlemen who were preparing for their University examinations and degrees. He had been so engaged for eight continuous weeks, working laboriously at the rate of from eight to ten hours de die in diem. One afternoon whilst busily engaged in explaining a subtle mathematical problem to his pupils, he was suddenly seized with an attack of severe vertigo (unaccompanied by any convulsive symptoms). This was succeeded by a complete loss of memory. He could retain nothing in his mind. On the following day he was brought to London, and I saw him. He complained of dull, heavy headache, and great depression of spirits. His general health was sadly vitiated. The cerebral symptoms being somewhat active, and congestion diagnosed, a few leeches were applied to the head, followed by a blister to the nape of the neck. A state of complete brain and mind quietude, repose, and inaction were enjoined. He had also administered to him mercurial alteratives with occasional warm and aromatic purgatives. In the course of a few weeks, he decidedly improved. He then took mineral acids with the extract of taraxacum. I then sent him abroad for the purpose of diverting his attention from the anxieties of home, but more with the view of removing him from all temptation to mental work. He returned to England after the lapse