79 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



What ia it that has happened ? Does everything around me really 

 exist ? What am I ? What are all these things that are made like 

 me ? Why am I ? Who am I ? I exist, but outside of real life, and 

 in spite of myself. Nothing, however, has given me death. Why are 

 all these things around me which all present the same aspect? These 

 things should enjoy life. What are these things ? 



" Although in this cruel condition, I have to do as I did before, 

 and, without knowing why, something that does not appear to reside 

 in the body urges me to continue as formerly ; and I can not realize 

 that this is true, that I really act. Everything is mechanical with me, 

 and done unconsciously. 



" When I experience a physical sensation, the substance that pro- 

 duces it, which is without any significance to me, is a blank. I feel a 

 pressure on my temples and a stress between my eyes at the top of 

 my nose, with a twitching of the nose to the top of my forehead. My 

 ears hear well, but appear stopped up. My left nostril is sometimes 

 obstructed, then free, then closed. Besides this strange sensation I 

 remark that when any one speaks to me I answer immediately, and 

 the answer is a reasonable one. 



"My work has so far been done properly and without any mistake; 

 and yet, when I say to myself, as I am saying continually, ' I am do- 

 ing this, I am doing that,' I can not bring myself to realize that it is 

 true. 



"I may describe my condition in brief by saying that my person- 

 ality has wholly disappeared ; it seems to me that I have been dead 

 for two years, and that the thing that exists does not recall anything 

 that has a relation with any former myself. The manner in which I 

 see things does not give me any realization of what they are, or that 

 they exist, whence the doubt, etc. 



" In view of this painful mental condition I come to ask you now 

 whether I am not about to become mad, or whether I can do anything 

 to deliver myself from a disorder which has continued so long, and 

 which has so far only been modified. Without being able to enjoy 

 life in any way, for I do not comprehend it, I am obliged to suffer 

 everything that others, who are in their normal state, suffer." 



The dominant fact in the psychological condition of this man is the 

 absolute loss of the sentiment of reality. He compares himself to an 

 empty paper sack. There is nothing in him. Nothing is left of him 

 but an envelope which preserves a kind of external appearance, but 

 which is in fact perfectly empty. He calls himself " a thing." Other 

 men are " things " like him, but he does not believe in their real exist- 

 ence. He does not believe in what he sees, and when he puts out his 

 hand to touch any object he is convinced in advance that he will find 

 nothing but a phantom that will vanish. Although he really touches 

 the object, the tactual added to the visual impression is still not 

 enough to overcome his incredulity. The world, in his eye, is nothing 



