A Singular Case | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 8, 1873

A Singular Case.

A case having but few known parallels in medical practice is just now puzzling the faculty in the vicinity of Elmira, N. Y., and forming a subject for universal comment. The circumstances attending it are as follows:—

Nearly three years ago, Mr. R. A. Hall, then a resident of Elmira, was rendered unconscious by striking his head against a beam in his barn. He speedily recovered, and no serious consequences resulted from the injury up to within the past few days. Shortly after the accident, Mr. Hall engaged in the mercantile business in Scranton, Pa., and removed thither with his family. One day last week he was obliged to leave his store and go home, owing to a severe and peculiar pain in his head. After reaching his residence he was taken with violent spasms, which continued at short intervals until ten o’clock at night, when they left him, and he sank into a quiet sleep, resting well all night. Upon awakening in the morning, his actions were so singular that it was a long time before his friends could explain the cause.

It was finally discovered that his memory, from the date of the accident in Elmira, was entirely gone. Everything that had occurred during the past three years, and during that time many important events had transpired in his life, was as blank to him as if he had been in a swoon for all that time. He recognized his wife and others he had known before the accident, but two children that were born during the past three years were entire strangers to him. His oldest child, five years old, he remembered only as she was when but two. His mind seemed weak, and his friends hoped that with the return of his usual good health his memory would be restored. In a day or two, however, both his mental and physical vigor returned, but the singular gap in his memory remained. His partner in business, Mr. Pratt, Mr. Hall had known for years. Mr. Pratt, at the time of the injury to Mr. Hall’s head, was principal of a school at Danville, Pa., and Mr. Hall remembers him only as that. He entered the latter’s room a day or so after he was taken sick, and Mr. Hall was very much surprised to see him, and asked about his school and friends in Danville. Mr. Hall could hardly be brought to believe his present position, but he finally saw it could not be otherwise.

Every effort has been made by his family, by bringing up old associations, the death of friends and relatives and important events in his life for the past three years, to awaken some sign of recollection of that time, but in vain. He was greatly surprised to hear that he had been doing business in Scranton for two years, and in a drive through that city a day or two since he recognized none of the business firms with whom he has had dealings during that time. He is now in this city, visiting old scenes and friends, in hopes that he may fix his mind on something which will lead it back over the three years that are blank to him, and result in entirely restoring his memory.