PREFACE. My purpose in this work is to provide a psychological monograph upon the diseases of memory, and, so far as the present state of our knowledge will permit, to derive from them certain deductions. The phenomena of memory have often been investigated, but never from a pathological stand-point. It has seemed to me that it might be profitable to consider the subject in this form. I have endeavored to limit myself to that, and have said nothing of the normal phases of memory, save so far as was necessary to make my meaning clear. I have cited many illustrations; this method, not in keeping with a purely literary study, is alone adapted to instruction. To write in a general way of the disorders of memory, without citing examples of each, would be, it seems to me, a useless task, since it is essential that the author's conclusions should be verified at every point. I beg the reader to note that he is offered here an essay in descriptive psychology, nothing more; and, if it has no other merit, this volume will bring to his attention many accounts of peculiar cases, scattered over a wide field of research, and only now brought together in a connected form. T. R. TABLE OF CONTENTS. I. MEMORY AS A BIOLOGICAL FACT.... Memory is essentially a biological fact, accidentally a psy- chical fact-Organic memory-Seat of memory-Modifica- tions of nervous elements; dynamical associations be- tween these elements-Conscious memory-Conditions of consciousness: intensity; duration-Unconscious cerebra- tion-Nervous action is the fundamental condition of per- ception; consciousness is only an accessory-Localization in the past, or recollection-Mechanism of this operation -It is not a simple and instantaneous act; it consists of the addition of secondary states of consciousness to the principal state of consciousness-Memory is a vision in time-Localization, theoretical and practical-Reference points-Resemblance and difference between localization in the future and in the past-All memory an illusion- Forgetfulness a condition of memory-Return to the open- Classification of the diseases of memory-Temporary amne- sia-Epileptics-Forgetfulness of certain periods of life- Examples of re-education-Slow and sudden recoveries- Case of provisional memory-Periodical or intermittent amnesia-Formation of two memories, totally or partially, distinct—Hypnotism-Progressive amnesia-Its impor- CHAPTER what order memory fails-Counter-proof: it is re-formed Reduction of memory to memories-Anatomical and physi- ological reasons for partial memories-Amnesia of num- bers, names, figures, etc.-Amnesia of signs-Its nature: a loss of motor-memory-Examination of this point- Progressive amnesia of signs verifies completely the law of regression-Order of dissolution: proper names; common nouns; verbs and adjectives; interjections and language of sentiment; gestures-Relation between this dissolution and the evolution of the Indo-European lan- guages-Counter-proof: return of signs in inverse order. General excitation-Partial excitation-Return of lost im- pressions-Return of forgotten languages-Application Relations between the conservation of perceptions and nutrition, between the reproduction of impressions and the general and local circulation-Influence of the quan- tity and quality of the blood-Examples-The law of re- PAGE DISEASES OF MEMORY. CHAPTER I. MEMORY AS A BIOLOGICAL FACT. THE descriptive study of the phenomena of recollection has been often made by various authors, particularly by the Scotch; hence, this work will not attempt to cover that ground. I propose to ascertain what light the new method in psychology can throw upon the nature of memory; to show that the teachings of physiology, united with those of intuitive perception, lead us to state the problem in a much more comprehensive form; that memory, as ordinarily known to us and as psychology commonly describes it, far from comprising the whole process of memory, is only its most highly developed and complex phase, and that, taken by itself and studied alone, it is not easily understood; that it is the last term in a long evolutionary series, the product of an extended, but connected, development, having its origin in organic life; in B |