Ean] AND SYMBOLS. 143 



moiety were not only divorced from the other but absolutely 

 annihilated. Dr. Wollaston was twice attacked in this manner, 

 and states that he could perceive but half of an individual 

 whom he met, and that on attempting to read the name of John- 

 son over a door, he saw only son. There is a mental hemiopia. 

 The men who are affected by it are never able to see the whole 

 of any question. They are often emphatic in stating precisely 

 that which they do see, because their vision respecting that is 

 clear enough. These enunciations of theirs constitute the 

 " half-truths " which we so constantly meet with in society, in 

 books, and in legislation. Men who are affected with mental 

 hemiopia are, as an almost universal rule, quite unconscious of 

 the fact. The great difficulty in making them aware of it 

 arises from a strong hallucination which accompanies the 

 disease and assures the sufferer that he is exceptionally strong 

 and perfect in his mental vision. People affected in this way 

 will often declare that they have discovered, and can proclaim, 

 "the whole truth of God," the fact being that they have barely 

 seen half of it. Mental hemiopia is either chronic or acute. 

 The former is incurable. The latter will yield to judicious treat- 

 ment and the removal of the proximate and exciting cause, which 

 is usually passion, avarice, bigotry, love, or jealousy. p. 



Hangers-on. 



The remora. instead of swimming far by its own exertions, 

 greatly prefers being transported from place to place on ships' 

 bottoms, or even the bodies of sharks. When one of the 

 sharks to which a remora is clinging is caught by a hook, and is 

 pulled out of the water, the little parasite is shrewd in its own 

 interest, for it drops off and makes for the bottom of the 

 ship. As long as a ship remains within the tropics, numbers of 

 remorae cling to its bottom, whether that be coppered or not, 

 whence they dart off occasionally to pick up any morsels of 

 greasy or farinaceous matter that may be thrown overboard, 

 retiring again rapidly to their anchorage. These hangers-on 

 resemble our social ones in the following particulars : they like 

 travelling about ; they do not care what they attach themselves 

 to so long as it suits their purpose for the time ; they will not 



