DUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. 265 



The subject of the disorder, Felida X., was born in 

 Bordeaux in 1843. Until the age of thirteen she differed in 

 no respect from other girls. But about that time symptoms 

 of hysterical disorder presented themselves, and although 

 she was free from lung-disease, she was troubled with 

 frequent spitting of blood. After this had continued ab ut 

 a year, she for the first time manifested the phenomena of 

 double consciousness. Sharp pains attacked both temples, 

 and in a few moments she became unconscious. This lasted 

 ten minutes, after which she opened her eyes, and entered 

 into what M. Azam calls her second state, in which she 

 remained for an hour or two, after which the pains and 

 unconsciousness came on again, and she retained to her 

 ordinary condition. At intervals of about five or six days, 

 such attacks were repeated ; and her relations noticed that 

 her character and conduct during her abnormal state were 

 changed. Finding also that in her usual conditi m she 

 remembered nothing which had passed when she was in the 

 other state, they thought she was becoming idiotic ; and 

 presently called in M. Azam, who was connected with a 

 lunatic asylum. Fortunately, he was not so enthusiastic a 

 student of mental aberration as to recognise a case for the 

 lunatic asylum in every instance of phenomenal mental 

 action. He found Felida intelligent, but melancholy, 

 morose, and taciturn, very indu-trious, and with a strong 

 will. She was vt ry anxious about her bodily health. At 

 this time the mental changes occurred more frequently than 

 before. Nearly every day, as she sat with her work on her 

 knees, a violent pain shot suddenly through her temples, her 

 head dropped upon her breast, her arms fell by her side, and 

 she passed into a sort of sleep, from which neither noises, 

 pinches, nor pricks could awaken her. This condition 

 lasted now only two or three minutes. * She woke up in 

 quite another state, smiling gaily, speaking briskly, and 

 trilling (fredonnanf) over her work, which she recommenced 

 at the point where she left it. She would get up, walk 

 actively, and scarcely complained of any of the pains she 



