CHAP. XXIX.] SPEECH AND THOUGHT. 645 



had not lost the power of 'voluntary' or of ' associational * 

 recall in the Auditory Word-Centre. He spoke, in fact, 

 fluently, and with only an occasional hesitation ; though 

 he was unable to write at will. 



The patient, a gas-inspector of remarkable energy and intelli- 

 gence, after an acute cerebral attack had entirely lost the power of 

 naming objects at sight and of reading. He talked fluently and 

 intelligently, scarcely ever made a mistake in words, but was some- 

 times at a loss for a name, especially of a street, place, or person. 

 He was, however, quite unable to read, or even to name a single 

 letter; the only exception being that he recognized his own name, 

 whether written or printed ; though even here he did not know 

 whether the Christian names or initials only were given. Whilst 

 this was the case, he wrote correctly from dictation, and took notes 

 of my instructions, which he could not read a moment afterwards.* 

 He explained that he was forgetful, and his wife would make 

 them out. If a hand, or an article of clothing, or any familiar 

 object were shown him, he was quite unable to name it ; while if 

 the name came up in conversation he spoke it without It 'sitation. 

 Asked the colour of a card, he could not give it. " Is it blue ? " 

 "No." " Green P" "No." "Red?" "Well, that's more like 

 it/' "Orange?" " Yes, orange." A square and a circle were 

 drawn, and he was asked to name either. He could not do it ; but, 

 when the circle was called a square, he said, "No, but that is," 

 pointing to the proper figure. 



The injury of a single set of commissural fibres (the 

 visuo- auditory), with the addition of some slight defect 

 in the Visual Word- Centre, would produce such a 

 combination of symptoms as are above recorded. We 



* In the more detailed account of this case it is said he could 

 not read his own writing " an hour later." It seems that there was 

 more than an inability to read aloud. He showed an inability to 

 comprehend words (from defect in the Visual Word- Centre), such 

 as did not exist in the previous cases, though there was no 

 inability to recognize the nature of common objects or even of 

 geometrical figures." Brit. Med. Jrnl.", April 8, 1876, p. 434, or 

 with more details in " Med. Chir. Trans.," 1872 (Case viii.). 



