Rough Ways Made Smooth: A series of familiar essays on scientific subjectsProctor, Richard A. (Richard Anthony)
Science
Rough Ways Made Smooth: A series of familiar essays on scientific subjects
Proctor, Richard A. (Richard Anthony)
Science
The pantomimic actions just related corresponded to what probably
happened a few moments before the man was wounded; but this human
automaton (so to call him, without theorising as to his actual
condition) goes through other performances. He has a good voice, and
was at one time a singer in a _café_. 'In one of his abnormal states he
was observed to begin humming a tune. He then went to his room, dressed
himself carefully, and took up some parts of a periodical novel which
lay on his bed, as if he were trying to find something. Dr. Mesnet,
suspecting that he was seeking his music, made up one of these into a
roll and put it into his hand. He appeared satisfied, took up his cane
and went downstairs to the door. Here Dr. Mesnet, turned him round, and
he walked quite contentedly in the opposite direction, towards the room
of the _concierge_. The light of the sun shining through a window now
happened to fall upon him, and seemed to suggest the footlights of the
stage on which he was accustomed to make his appearance. He stopped,
opened his roll of imaginary music, put himself into the attitude of a
singer, and sung, with perfect execution, three songs, one after the
other. After which he wiped his face with his handkerchief and drank,
without a grimace, a tumbler of strong vinegar and water which was put
into his hand.'
But the most remarkable part of the whole story is that which follows.
'Sitting at a table in one of his abnormal states, Sergeant F. took
up a pen, felt for paper and ink, and began to write a letter to his
general, in which he recommended himself for a medal on account of
his good conduct and courage.' (Rather a strange thing, by the way,
for a mere automaton to do.) 'It occurred to Dr. Mesnet to ascertain
experimentally how far vision was concerned in this act of writing. He
therefore interposed a screen between the man's eyes and his hands;
under these circumstances, F. went on writing for a short time, but the
words became illegible, and he finally stopped, without manifesting
any discontent. On the withdrawal of the screen, he began to write
again where he had left off. The substitution of water for ink in the
inkstand had a similar result. He stopped, looked at his pen, wiped it
on his coat, dipped it in the water, and began again with a similar
result. On another occasion, he began to write upon the topmost of
ten superimposed sheets of paper. After he had written a line or two,
this sheet was suddenly drawn away. There was a slight expression of
surprise, but he continued his letter on the second sheet exactly as if
it had been the first. This operation was repeated five times, so that
the fifth sheet contained nothing but the writer's signature at the
bottom of the page. Nevertheless, when the signature was finished, his
eyes turned to the top of the blank sheet, and he went through the form
of reading what he had written--a movement of the lips accompanying
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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