Brain as an organ of mind / by H. Charlton Bastian.

  • Henry Charlton Bastian
Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Brain as an organ of mind / by H. Charlton Bastian. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    abortive amount of activity. Dr. Graves has placed on record what may he taken as an illustration of this fact, though he quotes the case merely as “ a remarkably exag- gerated degree of the common defect of memory observed in the diseases of old age, in which the names of persons and things are frequently forgotten, although their initials are recollected.'* “ A farmer, fifty years ago, had suffered from a paralytic attack, from which he had not recovered at the time of observation. The attack was succeeded by a painful hesitation of speech. Sis memory was good for all 'parts of speech except noun-substantives and proper names: the latter he could not at all retain. This defect was accompanied by the following singular peculiarity;—he perfectly recollected the initial letter oj every substantive or proper name for which he had occasion in conversation, though he could not recall to his memory the word itself. Experience had taught him the utility of having written on manuscript a list of the things he was in the habit of calling for or speaking about, in- cluding the proper names of his children, servants, and acquain- tances ; all these he arranged alphabetically in a little pocket dictionary, which he used as follows :—if he wished to ask any- thing about a cow, before he commenced the sentence he turned to the letter C, and looked out for the word ‘ cow,’ and kept his finger and eye fixed on the word until he had finished the sentence. He could pronounce the word ‘ cow ’ in its proper place so long as he had his eyes fixed upon the written letters; but the moment he shut his booh it passed out of his memory and could not be recalled, although he recollected its initial, and could refer to it when neces- sary. He could not even recollect his own name unless he looked out for it, nor the name of any person of his acquaintance; but he never was at a loss for the initial of the word he wished to employ.” In regard to this memory of the first letter alone of a Name or Word, the following passage from David Hartley is not without interest. He said,* whilst illustrating his celebrated doctrine of ^ Association ’ :—‘‘ When a variety * “ Observations on Man,” 1748, Prop, xii,, Cor. vii.
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