HPB-SB-3-109: Difference between revisions

I need not say that since those days of commencing anatomical science when criminals were handed over to the doctors, we cannot make experiments on human beings, but sometimes they are made for us, and made in a very remarkable manner. That operation called war is a great series of physiological experiments, and sometimes it happens that these physiological experiments bear very remarkable fruit. I am indebted to my friend, General Strachey, for bringing to my notice the other day an account of a case which appeared within the last four or five days in the scientific article of the ''Journaldes Debats''. A French soldier, a sergeant, was wounded at the battle of Barcilles, one, as you recollect, of the most, fiercely contested battles of the late war. The man was shot in what we call the left parietal bone. The bullet, I presume, glanced off, but it fractured the bone. He had enough vigour left to send his bayonet through the Prussian who shot him. Then he wandered a few hundred yards out of the village, where he was picked up and taken to the hospital, where he remained some time. When he came to himself, as usual in such cases of injury he was paralysed on the opposite side of the body, that is to say, the right arm and the right leg were completely paralysed. That state of things lasted, I think, the better part of two years, but sooner or later he recovered from it, and now he is able to walk about with activity, and only by careful measurement can any difference between the two sides of his body be ascertained. The inquiry, the main results of which I shall give you, is conducted by exceedingly competent persons, and they report that at present this man lives two lives, normal life and an abnormal life. In his normal life lie is perfectly well, cheerful, and a capital hospital attendant, does all his work well, and is a respectable, well-conducted man. That normal life lasts for about seven-and-twenty days, or thereabouts, out of every mouth ; but for a day or two in each mouth—generally at intervals of about that time—he passes into another life, suddenly and without any warning or intimation. In this life he is still active, goes about just as usual, and is to all appearance just the same man as before, goes to bod and undresses himself, gets up, makes his cigarette and smokes it, and eats and drinks. But in this condition he neither sees, nor hears, nor tastes, nor smells, nor is he conscious of anything whatever, and has only one sense organ in a state of activity—viz., that of touch, which is exceedingly delicate. If you put an obstacle in his way, he knocks against it, feels it and goes to the one side, if you push him in any direction he goes straight on, illustrating, {{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on |3-110}}