Memory and Disease

        Many strange defects of memory are known to exist, and of these an interesting example may be given.

       A business man of keen mind and good general memory, who was not paralyzed in any way, and was perfectly able to comprehend and engage in conversation, suddenly lost a part of his power of reading and of mathematical calculation.
       The letters d, g, q, x, and y, tho seen perfectly, were in this case no longer recognized, and conveyed no more idea to him than Chinese characters would to most of us. He had difficulty in reading - was obliged to spell out all words, and could read no words containing three letters.
       He could write the letters which he could read, but could not write the five letters mentioned. He could read and write certain numbers, but 6, 7, and 8, had been lost to him; and when asked to write them his only result, after many attempts, was to be- gin to write the words six, seven, and eight, not being able to finish these, as the first and last contained letters (x and g) which he did not know.
       He could not add 7 and 5, or any two numbers whereof 6, 7, or 8 formed a part, for he could not call them to mind. Other numbers he knew well. He could no longer tell time by the watch.
       For a week after the beginning of this curious condition he did not recognize his surroundings. On going out for the first time the streets of the city no longer seemed familiar; on coming back he did not know his own house. After a few weeks, however, all his memories had returned excepting those of the letters and figures named; but as the loss of these put a stop to his reading, and to all his business life, the small defect of memory was to him a serious thing.
       Experience has shown that such a defect is due to a small area of disease in one part of the brain. Harper's Weekly.

''He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 40:11