登陆注册
5384300000083

第83章

T he study of Aphasia (see p.54) has of late years shown how unexpectedly great are the differences between individuals in respect of imagination.And at the same time the discrepancies between lesion and symptom in different cases of the disease have been largely cleared up.In some individuals the habitual 'thought-stuff,' if one may so call it, is visual; in others it is auditory, articulatory, or motor; in most, perhaps, it is evenly mixed.The same local cerebral injury must needs work different practical results in persons who differ in this way.In one it will throw a much used brain-tract out of gear; in the other it may affect an unimportant region.A particularly instructive case was published by Charcot in 1883. The patient was Mr.X., a merchant, born in Vienna, highly educated, master of German, Spanish, French, Greek, and Latin.Up to the beginning of the malady which took him to Professor Charcot, he read Homer at sight.He could, starting from any verse out of the first book of the Iliad, repeat the following verses without hesitating, by heart.Virgil and Horace were familiar.He also knew enough of modern Greek for business purposes.Up to within a year (from the time Charcot saw him) he enjoyed an exceptional visual memory, He no sooner thought of persons or things, but features, forms, and colors arose with the same clearness, sharpness, and accuracy as if the objects stood before him.When he tried to recall a fact or a figure in his voluminous polyglot correspondence, the letters themselves appeared before him with their entire content, irregularities, erasures and all.At school he recited from a mentally seen page which be read off line by line and letter by letter.In making computations, he ran his mental eye down imaginary columns of figures, and performed in this way the most varied operations of arithmetic.He could never think of a passage in a play without the entire scene, stage, actors, and audience appearing to him.He had been a great traveller.Being a good draughtsman, he used to sketch views which pleased him; and his memory always brought back the entire landscape exactly.If lie thought of a conversation, a saying, an engagement, the place, the people, the entire scene rose before his mind.

His auditory memory was always deficient, or at least secondary.He had no taste for music.

A year and a half previous to examination, after business-anxieties, loss of sleep, appetite, etc., he noticed suddenly one day ail extraordinary change in himself.After complete confusion, there came a violent contrast between his old and his new state.Everything about him seemed so new and foreign that, at first he thought he must be going mad.He was nervous and irritable.Although he saw all things distinct, he had entirely lost his memory for forms and colors.On ascertaining this, he became reassured as to his sanity.He soon discovered that he could carry on his affairs by using his memory in an altogether new way.He can now describe clearly the difference between his two conditions.

Every time he returns to A., from which place business often calls him, he seems to himself as if entering a strange city.He views the monuments, houses, and streets with the same surprise as if he saw them for tile first time.Gradually, however, his memory returns, and he finds himself at home again.When asked to describe the principal public place of the town, he answered, "I know that it is there, but it is impossible to imagine it, and I can tell you nothing about it." He has often drawn the port of A.To-day he vainly tries to trace its principal outlines.Asked to draw a minaret, lie reflects, says it is a square tower, and draws, rudely, four lines, one for ground, one for top, and two for sides.Asked to draw an arcade, he says, " I remember that it contains semi-circular arches, and that two of them meeting at an angle make a vault, but how it looks I am absolutely unable to imagine." The profile of a man which he drew by request was as if drawn by a little child; and yet he confessed that he had been helped to draw it by looking at the bystanders.

Similarly lie drew a shapeless scribble for a tree.

He can no more remember his wife's and children's faces than he can remember the port of A.Even after being with them some time they seem unusual to him.He forgets his own face, and once spoke to his image in a mirror, taking it for a stranger.He complains of his loss of feeling for colors."My wife has black hair, this I know;

but I can no more recall its color than I can her person and features."

This visual amnesia extends to dating objects from his childhood's years -- paternal mansion, etc., forgotten.

No other disturbances but this loss of visual images.Now when he seeks something in his correspondence, he must rummage among the letters like other men, until he meets the passage.He can recall only the first few verses of the Iliad, and must grope to read Homer, Virgil, and Horace.Figures which he adds he must now whisper to himself.He realizes clearly that he must help his memory out with auditory images, which he does with effort.The words and expressions which he recalls seem now to echo in his ear, an altogether novel sensations for him.If he wishes to learn by heart anything, a series of phrases for example, he must read them several times aloud, so as to impress his ear.When later he repeats the thing in question, the sensation of in- ward hearing which precedes articulation rises up in his mind.This feeling was formerly unknown to him.He speaks French fluently;

but affirms that he call no longer think in French; but must get his French words by translating them from Spanish or German, the languages of his childhood.He dreams no more in visual terms, but only in words, usually Spanish words.A certain degree of verbal blindness affects him -- he is troubled by the Greek alphabet, etc.

同类推荐
  • 明太祖宝训

    明太祖宝训

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Political Economy

    Political Economy

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • On Dreams

    On Dreams

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大日经略摄念诵随行法

    大日经略摄念诵随行法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 题秦州城

    题秦州城

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 外星人未解之谜

    外星人未解之谜

    在浩淼广阔的宇宙中,地球就像沙粒般渺小。自古以来,人们就发出了寻找宇宙生命的呼唤。外星球有没有真正的类似于人的生命存在,至今仍然是一个未解之谜。这个谜题本身包含了很多的推测和猜想。但是不可否认的是,世界上仍然有一些无法用人类掌握的知识解释的事情,人们有时只能把它归结于外界“神秘力量”的操控和干预。自从1541年,哥白尼发表“日心说”以来,人们逐渐意识到浩瀚的宇宙不只地球一个存在,地球只是围绕太阳旋转的一颗小行星而已,这让人们开始把眼光从地球上移开,投向了广阔的银河系。
  • 豪门千金:天涯海角总相逢

    豪门千金:天涯海角总相逢

    他们曾是青梅竹马,两小无猜。后来,她以偷盗家财的名义被扫地出门,在所有人都不信她说的话,不听她的解释的时候,他们用那弱小的肩膀将她挡在身后,他们都以为他们会永远在一起,可是谎言永远不会成为事实,当事实揭露,她毅然决然的离开,当千金归来,他们又会有怎样的故事?【有坑,勿入】
  • 小猪弗莱迪:大侦探弗莱迪

    小猪弗莱迪:大侦探弗莱迪

    《小猪弗莱迪》系列童话故事书每册都是一个精彩独立的故事。或是迷案重重、悬疑跌宕的侦探故事,或是意外横生、步步惊心的冒险故事;或是斗智斗勇、充满惊险的间谍之战;或是想像奇特、笑料十足的太空旅行……
  • 华夏童儿失踪了

    华夏童儿失踪了

    本书以五千年发生的重点文化事件为主线,以现代少年儿童独特的视野和寻踪探秘的猎奇心理,编织起尊重史料并将主人公巧妙融入史事的全新故事,展示出一幅集知识性、趣味性和现代审美取向的动漫特色的历史长卷。
  • 异海

    异海

    一场没有硝烟的别样战争,在一片有别于三维空间的异海展开。知晓全部秘密的美国人、以卧底身份参与其中的中国人、后来居上的苏联人、先下手为强的德国人,他们都明白:谁控制了异海的陆地,谁就能重建一个世界秩序。谁拥有神秘的怀表,谁就能在不同空间任意穿越,经历不同人生,体验不同时空。如果有一天,地球不复存在,究竟谁能在异海争得生存空间?如果有诺亚方舟,到底哪些国家能够获得珍贵的船票?
  • 性格决定成败

    性格决定成败

    每一种性格都有它的优缺点,我们每一个人都应该充分地了解自身性格的优势和弱势,努力做到扬长避短。
  • 冉冬,我总会想起你

    冉冬,我总会想起你

    因为不被父母喜爱,郁欢颜六岁时被父母送走。在一个叫虢镇的地方,她认识了被母亲抛弃的冉冬。冉冬性格孤僻、外表冷漠,却在一次偶然的机会下对郁欢颜敞开心扉,他们发现彼此竟如此相似……他对任何人都冷冰冰,除了她;他对任何事都漠不关心,除了和她有关的。他陪她走过了本该孤独的青春时候,温柔沉默。一场突如其来的大火,让他们的命运走向了迥然不同的结局。冉冬像是贪玩的风筝,而她是那个担心的小孩。郁欢颜没有预想到风筝断了线,再没有回来。“冉冬,我总会想起你。想到我没来得及告诉你那句重要的话,我就……”
  • 残忍的季节

    残忍的季节

    四月最残忍,从死了的土地滋生丁香,混杂着回忆和欲望,让春雨挑动着呆钝的根。——艾略特《荒原》一张子川纵身一跃举手投篮的姿势是如此优美,简直要把许艺给迷倒了。许艺眼睛直愣愣盯着他,眼珠子骨碌碌骨碌碌地跟着他转,待到他篮下跨步时,直感觉呼吸紧迫,有点儿快要晕眩了。旁边的邵思琪说,哎,美女,你也太过分了吧,口水都要流下来了!许艺略微回过神来,说,怎么啦,我就是崇拜他!告诉你,张子川是我喜欢的,你们谁都别抢!
  • 我的大学生活是宫斗剧吧

    我的大学生活是宫斗剧吧

    你见识过男人比女人还会使性子玩心眼的吗?你碰到过完全没有辨别是非黑白能力的人吗?哎,我可都是第一次见啊!还有莫名的破坏我和男友的关系,喂喂,拜托我好像没有得罪你吧!就不能和和美美过完大学吗?我只是想做一个低调安静的普通学生啊!要不要搞得跟宫斗一样你死我活勾心斗角硝烟弥漫啊。。。---我是文艺的分割线---这个城市如此寂寞,终究,我们都只是彼此生命中的过客……
  • 生命在纸上行走

    生命在纸上行走

    瘫痪病榻,才感悟到散步阳光下的幸福;饥困荒漠,才渴望得到一滴水的幸福;身陷囹圄,才领会到获取自由的幸福。缺陷像一把钥匙,打开幸福之门,幸福在缺陷中找到答案。