APHASIA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3661, 9 April 1883, Page 4

APHASIA.

One of the most curious and baffling of nervous diseases is aphasia, Avhich consists in the loss of power iv the subject of it to recall certain Avords, and which in serious eases destroys all power of expression. An eminent French Judge who suffered from it would say to his wife : " Give me my—dear me! my—you know," and lie would point to his head.

'' Your hat:

" Oh yes, my hat."

Sometimes again, he would ring the bell before going out, and say to his. servant, "Give me my ran -vm —brel." '' Arour umbrella r'' " Yes, my umbrella."

At this time he exhibited no other s\,nptoms of diminished intelligence, but Avas in the habit of discussing the most intricate points of law. Another invalid would substitute the word he desired to use with a paraphrase, as, for instance, when he wanted to mention his "aunt" he would say, "the nearest relative by the mother's side."

AVliile in the simpler forms of the disease only a few words are lost by the sufferer ; in more complicated cases his vacabulary is limited to perhaps not more than half a dozen words. In one instance the total vocabulary of an aphasia patient consisted of five words---" yes," "no," "three," " always " and " hullo." lie answered all iuquirii": with one of those and though when questioned concerning si number he would invariably say three, he would give the accurate number by exhibiting les fingers. The greatest sufferers sire unable to express themselves by writing as by speech. They take up the pen eagerly in their hands and either scrawl a few ruintel l: gible hieroglyphics, or write some Avord wholly different from the one they intend. No positive euro for this strange aberration is known though the patients sometimes recover, and the most curious feature of it is, no general weakness of the intellect accompanies it.-—Youth's Companion.