Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 46.djvu/756

736 of Harvard, in the American Psychological Review—the case of John Bunyan.

Lastly, there is one other curiosity of thinking which as yet remains unexplained, but which at present is exciting a considerable degree of interest. I refer to the condition known as double consciousness. Let me give an illustration.

A young man, a carpenter by trade, of fair intelligence and good physique, had a severe fall upon the head in January, 1879, and subsequently to that time suffered from occasional attacks of unconsciousness with convulsions, which were thought to be epileptic. He was treated from July, 1884, until January 10, 1885, for this disease, and during that time had no attacks. On January 10th he came home from work as usual, ate his supper, and went to bed. He slept with his brother, who is sure that during the night he had no convulsion. The patient says that when he woke up on the 11th of January he found himself in Bellevue Hospital, and learned to his surprise that it was evening. He has no recollection of anything which occurred beweenbetween [sic] going to bed on Friday night and waking in the hospital on Saturday night. From his family, however, it was ascertained that he got up as usual on Saturday morning, and while it was noticed that he acted a little strangely at breakfast nothing was said to him, and he went as usual to work. His employer thought that his eyes looked brighter (possibly his pupils were dilated) and that he did not appear natural, but he took no special notice of this, and soon after his arrival at the shop in Twenty-fourth Street he sent him up to a house in Forty-sixth Street (about a mile) on an errand, to obtain a carpenter's bit and brace. He went up to Forty-sixth Street, did the errand, and evidently explained himself intelligently, for he was given the bit and brace. The next trace he has of his movements was at Eighth Avenue, near Bleecker Street (about two miles away), though how he got there he does not know. He there went into a plumber's shop, and asked to be allowed to sit down and rest. He had nothing in his hands, so must have lost the bit and brace on the way. He soon got into a lively talk with the plumber, and became quarrelsome, so that he was told to go out. He went away, but in an hour came back, entered the shop, and tried to strike the plumber. This was for him an unusual proceeding, as he is of a mild and gentle disposition. An officer was summoned, who took him to the police station, where it was evident that he was out of his head; so they sent him to St. Vincent's Hospital, whence he was at once transferred to Bellevue. He fell asleep soon after admission to Bellevue, and on waking in an hour or so was surprised to find where he was. His manner of talking made it evident that nothing was the matter with him, and he was discharged at once and went home, rather indignant at