278 NATURE STUDIES. 



names and cases of patients were concerned) "that he 

 was obliged to make memoranda of every trifling 

 and minute circumstance which it was important for 

 him to remember, and to these he was constantly 

 referring in order to refresh his memory. This attack 

 was preceded by headache, of which he had com- 

 plained for nearly a fortnight." Up to the period of 

 the case being brought to the attention of Dr. Forbes 

 Winslow, who treated it, no suspicion had been enter- 

 tained of the existence of any prior state of cerebral 

 ill- health, sufficient to account for the patient's sudden 

 loss of mental power. Dr. Winslow ascertained, 

 however, that " about eight weeks, or nearly three 

 months previously " (not a very clear way of putting 

 the matter, by the way), the patient had been seized, 

 whilst in the act of applying a stethoscope to the 

 chest of a patient, with severe epileptic vertigo. For 

 about a second he lost consciousness. This had been 

 succeeded by an attack of distressing sick headache. 

 " Three days subsequently he had a second paroxysm 

 of giddiness, and nearly fell out of the carriage in 

 which he was sitting at the time. His spirits sub- 

 sequently became much depressed, but in a few days 

 he again rallied, flattering himself that he had quite 

 recovered. He made no mention of these attacks to 

 any member of his family, and carefully avoided all 

 conversation on the subject of his health with his 

 medical brethren." " When I saw this gentleman/' 

 says Dr. Winslow, "the only appreciable, mental 

 symptom was inability to retain in his mind, for many 



