ON THE FEMALE CONSTITUTION. 377 



Another case was mentioned in some of the newspapers, 

 two or perhaps three years ago, of a more marked instance of 

 double consciousness. The individual was liable to two states, 

 each of which, if I rightly recollect, continued for two or more 

 years. In the one state, when it first Came oil, there was an 

 oblivion of all foi'mer education, but no deficiency of mental 

 vigour as applied to ideas or pursuits subsequently presenting 

 themselves. It was necessary for this woman to recommence 

 the studies of reading and the art of writing. A separate set of 

 notions, and separate accomplishments were now formed. In 

 one of the states an exquisite talent for music, and some others 

 which implied refinement, were displayed. When another 

 mental revolution arrived, these utterly disappeared, and the in- 

 dividual was reduced to a level with the rest of mankind, dis- 

 playing a sufficient portion of common sense, but nothing 

 brilliant. 



Differences more or less allied to these are produced by a 

 variety of causes. 



Sometimes external fortune has an influence of this kind. 

 There are individuals who, in the hour of prosperity, and 

 when under the influence of sober and uniform gratifica- 

 tion, show an exquisite taste for music, but lose this as soon 

 as a slight cloud appears on the horizon of life, and who then, 

 though they evince such talents as are the result of persevei-- 

 ing thought, and are capable of being exercised by deliberate 

 study, lose all that satisfactory delight which gives birth to a 

 brilliancy of mental manifestations ; at least these only appear 

 in the occasional occurrence of happy combinations, being 

 never, for any length of time, animated by such a supported 

 impulse as to generate a current of habitual felicities. 



Sometimes the state of the brain, as influenced primarily 

 by disease, determines the operation of these mental states. 



3 B 2 External 



