Assimilative Memory; or, How to Attend and Never ForgetLoisette, A. (Alphonse)
Science
Assimilative Memory; or, How to Attend and Never Forget
Loisette, A. (Alphonse)
Mnemonics
To remember which of the University crews wears _dark_ blue and which
_light_, we can note that the vowel "I" belongs alike to Cambridge and
"Light" and is absent from Oxford and "Dark."
Take a case in Trigonometry--a _Complement_ is what remains after
subtracting an angle from _one_ right-angle. Take 60 degrees from
90 degrees, and we have the complement 30 degrees--a _Supplement_ is
what remains after subtracting an angle from two right-angles. Take
120 degrees from 180 degrees and we have the supplement 60 degrees. How
to remember that "Complement" relates to one right-angle, and
"Supplement" relates to two right-angles, is a difficulty for a poor
memory. Looking at the accidents of the subject, we see that Supplement
and two right-angles have a relation in this, that Supplement begins
with S and two begins with _T_. S ... T. Hence we must remember that
Supplement relates to _T_wo right-angles, and, of course, the word
Complement to one right-angle.
Or to use the Synthetic Method: "_Complement_ (compliment) ... praise
bestowed ... prize-winner ... won ... _one right-angle_" (_Complement_
completes right-angle ... _one_ ... _right-angle_) or "_Supplement_ ...
supple ... bend double ... 'two double' ... _two right-angles_"
(_Supplement_ ... added to ... more than one right-angle ... _two
right-angles_).
I could give many other illustrations of the narrow scope of this Method
of Accidents, though _genuine within that scope_, and how, in _all_
cases, by the Synthetic Method we can find in the facts _to be
remembered_ the means of their recollection. One case more: In regard to
memorising the statement that "the Posterior Nerve of the Spinal Column
is Sensory, and the Anterior Nerve is Motor," using this Method of
Accidents, "You observe that Posterior and Sensory go together, and that
Anterior and Motor go together. The initial letters of Posterior and
Sensory are P and S, and the initial letters of Anterior and Motor are A
and M. By considering that A and M are in the upper part of the Alphabet
and P and S are in the lower part of it, you will be sure to remember
that Anterior is associated with Motor and Posterior with Sensory." I
admit that the _first time_ one hears this elaborate method applied the
novelty of the principle of it might make an impression; but, after
that, the method would probably fail from its lengthy exposition;
because it is difficult to retain the _steps of an argument_ in a weak
Memory and therefore such a method cannot certainly act as a _Means for
Aiding_ the Memory. How do I manage this case? By correlating Posterior
to Sensory, thus: _Posterior_ ... Post-Mortem ... Insensible ...
_Sensory_; or Anterior to Motor, thus: _Anterior_ ... Ant ... disturbed
anthill ... commotion ... _Motor_; or _Anterior_ ... antediluvian ...
rush of water ... water-power ... _Motor_. In uniting the two
unconnected "Extremes" together by means of a _developed Analysis
memorised_, the Natural Memory is aided in a very high degree.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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