WHO AM 11

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11544, 1 December 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

WHO AM 11

• THE VICTIM OF LIGHTNING. In the little vine-ciad hospital at White Plains, near N.Y., is a patient so extraordinary as to command the attention, not only of the people oi the village, but of men of learning in New York, Chicago, and other cities.

He is known as " William," but there is little reason to believe that is his real name. He answers to the name of John, Charles, George, or Bill with equal facility, for he does not know who he is. He is a man lost— to the world— knows not from whence he came. . If you ask him who he is he will very simply reply, "I do not know." Continually he asks the question, "Who am I?" ' There was a dreadful thunderstorm in White Plains on the evening of July 6. The lightning flashed, rain fell in torrents, and persons were terrified by the electric display. When it was all over, a man was found on the sidewalk of John-street apparently stunned by a discharge of the electric fluid. The discovery was made by James McLaughlin, who, finding that the man had been seriously injured by lightning, conveved him to" the White Plains Hospital. When taken to the hospital he was completely paralysed on the left side. He was unconscious and the medical men about gave him up for dead. Dr. H. Ernest Schmid, the head of the staff of the White Plains Hospital, and one of the leading practitioners of Westchester County, however, refused to give up the case as hopeless, and with the assistance of Miss Gasz, matron of the institution, the unconscious man was gradually restored to. consciousness. He is a tall, blue-eyed, fair-haired man, with a flowing blonde moustache and of muscular frame; in fact, he looks like an athlete, He had not a cent of money in bis clothes, nor any letters or papers that would serve as a clue to his identity. He carried a valuable gold watch, the case of which was fused by the electric fluid. He appeared to be an artisan in prosperous circumstances, and has since shown that he is a man of good education. Dr. Schmid's first question, when the man regained some of his normal faculties, was: " Who are you?" And then, to his astonishment, the reply came, " I don't know." This was a poser for the doctors, but day after day the same question was asked, and invariably met with the same reply, until now the medical men have abandoned this question as next to a hopeless conundrum. As the days wore along " William" grew in strength and roubustness until now he weighs 1851b, is hale and hearty, and is able to perform some work about the institution. He discusses the news of the day in an intelligent manner, and is able to read the newspapers. Care is token to cut therefrom any reference to his singular case, but by some means or another he manages to inform himself of all that is said about him in the public prints. " My mother's name is Margaret," he said one day. and then lapsed into silence. Then on another occasion he vouchsafed the information that he had a sister living as well as mother. "Where?" asked the nurse. There was no response and the mind shattered by the flash of the electric fluid refused to give up its secret. Patiently have the nurses laboured with this man. Names and places without number have been suggested to him, but none has met with an intelligent response. Once he said that he remembered that he had been in the West, and communication was had with Chicago papers and a description of the man published. Many inquiries came, but none of the men inquired for corresponded to the mysterious patient in the White Plains Hospital.

" It's a very mysterious case," said Dr. Schinid to a reporter recently, " and so far as I know it has no parallel in medical annals. The man is suffering from aphasia as a result: of the electric shock, and has developed catalepsy. It is impossible tc state just what will be the outcome of the case."