LOSS OF MEMORY
'AN UNUSUAL CASE. SYDNEY, October 22. Mr Sims, chief officer of tihe steamer Palma, who disappeared on Saturday, was found at Parkes. His memory is a complete blank as Io how or wtoy he made the journey. The unfortunate plight of Mr Sims recalls another case whveh came to light in Melbourne about two years ago, and which presented extraordinary features. In that case a man named Frederick William Hunt had lost the recollection of events prior to 1537, and nothing would convince him that he was Kot living in that year. He was very wrathful when a policeman handed mm a Daper to convince him tnat it wao 1907, and indignantly repolled hii | wife to whom he had been married for 21 years The following dialogue took place .in court : — Hunt: 1 want to know why I am brought hers. I was picked up in Bairnsdale 11 days ago- Why am I not allowed to go on board by ship? rWg-paJit Mrqphy : "What ship? Hunt: Her Majesty's warship Kelson. Sergeant Murphy : You mean his Majesty's ship. Hunt (indignantly) : No, I don't. I mean her Majesty's navy. I am arr officer of hor Majesty's navy, and I want to know why I am detained here. Sergeant Murphy : This is 1907. Hunt: It is not; it is 1887. Sergcarrs Murphy: Are you married? I Hunt: What nonsense! Marry on 12> 6d a day ? The Bench directed that Hunt should be sent to the receiving houee. A leading ' Melbourne brain specialist admitted that the physiology of the brain was still too imperfect to furnish a full explanation of inch a ca«e. One might as well attempt to define soul as to define memory. There i-= no caitdinty even n? to the seat of the memory. W hen a man loses his memory j suddenly it is probably duo- to the irrita ! tion of an old injury to the braiir. Several ! interos>tin;r cabos have come into this j specialist's experience. A beautiful woman ' of 25 years came to him with the transition from chikLhood to womanhood completely forgotten. He* one source of hr.ppinWs was a large doll given to her on her twelfth :.-u-thdav. This birthday had benn ' her undoing Host parents had given her , a party, and the queen of the day, fond of -.scapades, had suggested sliding down ' bann>«ters. SI:*? fell hea\ily on her head, j but for 10 years there was no evil effect ! beyond a big lump, which cjuickly went I away. At t.ha end of 10 years lier inemorv [ wont. ftsc-rrio people's memory faik in but ' one cr two re-pects. An old man used to 'orjyet his nams and addross, and. bain? Quito conscious of his failing, sewed a card itia.-tlti a vest pocket, and when his memory j failed turned tho pocka-t inside out before ' the iirst person he mot. J
LOSS OF MEMORY
Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 26
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