Accordingly, it is sometimes the case, that a violent fever, a sudden and violent blow on the head, and other causes of physical injury and disorder, are followed by an entire loss of the power of recollection.

§ 139. Of loss of memory in relation to particular subjects.

It is one peculiarity of disordered memory, that it sometimes exists exclusively in relation to particular subjects. A certain portion or section of the memory seems to be lost, while in all its applications beyond these particular limits, whatever they may be, it remains unimpaired.

It does not appear that any explanation of these cases has been given, or is likely to be given, which will be generally satisfactory. They undoubtedly involve the general fact of a connexion between the mind and the body, particularly between the mind and the brain; but do not seem to admit of a definite and specific explanation, which will not be found to be attended with some formidable objections. Accordingly, in this state of things, we shall feel at liberty merely to give some facts or instances, without attempting to go further.

Dr. Beattie mentions the case of a person who, in consequence of a violent blow on the head, lost his knowledge of the Greek language, but did not appear to have lost anything else. It is related of

a certain Spanish author (Good's Study of Medicine, vol. iv.), that, being attacked by an acute fever, he forgot all the languages he ever knew, and had no recollection even of his own writings. It does

X

not appear, from anything that is said in connexion with this statement, that this person's memory was equally impaired on other subjects. Dr. Good also mentions the case of a certain Welshman, who left his native land in his youth, forgot his native dialect, and used the English language for thirty years. This man was attacked by the brain fever, and, in consequence of it, suddenly recovered the knowledge of the Welsh language, which he had forgotten, and lost the knowledge of the English, with which he had been so long familiar.-Other facts of a similar nature might be introduced if it were necessary.

§ 140. Impaired memory in connexion with names. There have been persons whose impairment of memory was limited exclusively, or nearly so, to proper names. This fact is noticed by Mr. Combe, who makes the remark, that "numerous cases are on record of the power of using words having been impaired by disease, when the ability to articulate, and the powers of perception and judgment remained entire." And, in confirmation of this general statement, he introduces from the Phrenological Journal the case of a Mr. Hood. It is stated, in respect to this person, that he suddenly forgot the name of every object in nature. "His recollection of things seemed to be unimpaired; but the names, by which men and things are known, were entirely obliterated from his mind; or, rather, he had lost the faculty by which they are called up at the control of the will. He was by no means inattentive,

however, to what was going on, and he recognised friends and acquaintances perhaps as quickly as on any former occasion; but their names, or even his own, or his wife's name, or the names of any of his domestics, appeared to have no place in his recollection."*

The father of the late Dr. Watson, bishop of Landaff, was unable, in consequence, as was supposed, of an apoplectic attack, to recollect the name of his eldest son. He was obliged to designate him, which he had very frequent occasion to do, in connexion with his pursuits or his place of residence; calling him, for instance, the "lad at college," instead of repeating his name. "And yet he was able to repeat, without a blunder, hundreds of lines out of classic authors."

A case, coming under this general head, occurred a few years since in the city of Washington. A respectable and intelligent lady residing there experienced a slight attack of apoplexy. It is stated that, up to the time of this attack, she possessed rather uncommon powers of conversation; was fluent, and had a ready command of five languages. The apoplectic attack, although it left her general power of language untouched, destroyed entirely her ability, with a single exception, of recalling proper names. And this power, it seems, she has never, as yet, recovered. She still converses fluently, so far as proper names are not concerned. But, whenever a name of this kind occurs, she is arrested in her conversation, and cannot proceed till the name is sug

* Combe's Phrenology, 3d Am. ed., p. 430.

gested. Whenever this is done, she instantly recognises the person or thing for which the name stands, as the one appropriate to her train of thought and conversation, and is thus enabled to go on.

In connexion with these facts, it will not be surprising when we state that persons sometimes forget their own names. A case of this kind is related in the Psychological Magazine. Some years since, a German gentleman, who held a high rank in political life, had occasion to call at another person's house on some business. The servant of the house, being unacquainted with him, asked him his name. But he was unable to answer; he had entirely forgotten it; and was under the disagreeable and rather ridiculous necessity of asking a friend who was with him what his own name was.*

§ 141. Of loss of memory during particular periods of time.

Another striking modification of disordered memory is that which exists for a particular period of time. Dr. Beattie relates the case of a clergyman who was attacked with apoplexy; and, on recovering, was found to have lost the recollection of exactly four years. Dr. Abercrombie also relates, that he once attended a lady in a protracted illness, whose impairment of memory assumed this form. She lost the recollection of a period of about ten or twelve years, but spoke with perfect consistency of things as they stood before that time.—Facts of this

For some of the above and other similar statements, see Good's Medicine, vol. iv., p. 189.

kind cannot fail to convince us, that no inconsiderable degree of mystery, in some respects at least, still rests upon the operations and laws of the human mind. It is true that various explanations of the facts which have been given in this section may be attempted; but they will all be found, on examination, to involve more or less of merely hypothetical views. What further developements the well-disciplined inquiries of science will be able to make in future time, we are, of course, unable to say. Certainly we have no reason for saying that, in the existing state of mental knowledge, we know all which possibly can be known; although it is undoubtedly the case, that at present we know only in part.

§ 142. Of other modifications of disordered

Memory.

The imperfect and disordered action of the memory appears in a variety of forms, too numerous to render it practicable, in the narrow limits to which the present work is restricted, fully to describe them. We shall leave the subject, therefore, with briefly referring to one other modification of disorder, somewhat different from any which has hitherto been mentioned. It consists in putting one name for another, but always employing the words which are used in the same sense. An individual who was the subject of this form of mental disorder, is mentioned by Dr. Abercrombie; and some accompanying explanations are given in the following terms."He uniformly called his snuff-box a hogshead, and