MAN WITH A DOUBLE HEAD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 153, 29 June 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

MAN WITH A DOUBLE HEAD.

FORGOT HiMSELF FOR MANY YEARS.

The case of Mr Charles Washburn, who has just recovered his memory after a lapse of 17 years, and has no knowledge of what he did In that time, is just now occupying medical attention. Mr Washburn's native home was, says the "Pittsburg Times," in Eastern Pennsylvania, but in wliat town he ha« not yet been able to recall. According to his statement to his doctors, made since the recovery of his memory, he left for the West In 1884, after the death of his father, ta look up some property that had been left to him. He remembers leaving Chicago on the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, bat can only recall that the train was wrecked a short time after leaving Chicago. He remembers a crash and the sensation of being hurled tnrough the air, but from that time tmtll be recovered his memory four weeks ago his mind is a blank, or was at the time of his recovery.

Mrs Washburn says she met her husband •twelve years ago, a few days after his arrival in the city, and two years later married him. But Mr Washburn on the recovery of his memory knew nothing of his marriage or of the fact that he was the father of four children. He did not recognise any of the people he has known for the past ten years; he did not know anything of the neighbourhood in which he has resided for the same time.nor did he know anything of his former occupation, painting, nor of his present one, the grocery business. Electric cars were to him as something springIng suddenly from the earth, and he had but a dim recollection of what electric lights were.

For the past year and a half Mr Washburn has apparently been ill. This caused his retirement from his former occupation, a contracting painter, and he embarked in the grocery business. One night as he was walking the floor of his dining-room, suffering intensely, a daughter wlio was in the room with him accidentally overturned a lamp. Mr Washburn tried to grasp it as it fell, but as he reached for it he murmured, "Oh, my head!" and fell to the floor unconrclous. He was immediately put to bed, and Dr. Small summoned. When he regained consciousness the next day the events of the past seventeen years were entirely forgotten. He regained consciousness at the point where his memory had left aim, and his first words were: "Was I much hurt?" Mre Washburn was in the room at the time, and replied in the negative. Then he Inquired as to what hospital he was in, and asked his wife if she was the nurse. She laughingly replied that she was hia wife, whereat he grew, indignant, and told her that she was taking liberties with him. He then demanded to see the doctor, and to humour him Mrs Washbnrn sent for Dr. Small. While awaiting the doctor, Mrs Washburn again engaged her husband in conversation, calling him by his first name and telling him that he was the father of four children. "I'm not married," he replied. "Nice thing for a man 24 years of age to wake up after a night's sleep and to be told that he is the father of four children." "But you are not a young man," replied his wife, and she handed him a mirror. When he saw the reflection of his face he acknowledged that he did not look like a man of 24 years of age, but still did not believe that he was married. He did not recognise the face as his, exclaiming, "My God! That is not me!" and pointed to a portn.it taken about the time of his marriage as his own. Then Mrs Washburn showed him their marriage certificate and brought in the children, which convinced him of the truth of her statement. • ■ A, few days later, when his condition allowed of his being taken out, it was made apparent how completely the lapse of memory had been. He did not know one of hiR neighbours, with many of whom he had been on intimate terms, and when, after he had regained his strength, it was proposed that he resume his occupation of painting, he nstouished the doctor and his family by saying that he knew nothing about painting, aud that he had never been a painter, notwithstanding that he followed this occupation for over ten years. An astonishing feature of the case is that, according to Mrs Washburn's statement, during their entire married life she never noticed anything wrong with him. He acted rationally at all times^ never smoked, drunk but very little, and, until the time of his illness began, had always worked hard, and provMed well for his family. He never did anything to lead her to believe that he was not in possession of his senses. and her surprise was greater than his when he recovered conciousness and did not ,recogniie her. About three weeks ago Dr. Small turned tne case over to Dr. Edward E. Mayer, spe clallst on mental and nervous diseases. Dr. Small said Mr Washburn seemed to suffer great pain in his right side, and whenever he wa stouched he would fairly howl with pain." When he lost consciousness I thought

it was the result of the abscess*! agaift breaking, and was amazed after his recovery of consciousness that he did not fee; the slightest pain. As soon as I arrived at ■the house I began examining him. He did not recognise me as anyone he had ever seen before, and thought I insulted him when 1 said that he had an abscess. He insisted that there was nothing wrong with him, and when I handled him a bit more severely than usual he made no complaint oi any pain, nor has h;; done so since the recovery i/f his memory. Dr. Mayer, though at first disinclined to talk, said: I took hold of flic

case three weeks axo. Amnesia, the complaint with which he was-afflicted, is not

uncommon. It is often seen in insane casos which present alterations in pcrsoallty, and double personality, seemingly two minds in the same body. Mr AVahburn's case is not one of complete aranepia, as he always remembered his name. The method of treating the case which 1 am following is one of suggestion. This eonwiHts of gradually separating him from any Impressions that have been left upon his brain by the loss of memory, working back to the time preceding it, and then bringing his ideas slowly up to the present time. There is no hypnotic influence or anything of that sort used m connection with the treatmet. It is all done througfc simple suggestion, and I believe it will lea* to his ideas being eventually brought up U date.