MAN WITH HALF A BRAIN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3467, 6 March 1912, Page 7

MAN WITH HALF A BRAIN.

SHOT IN THE HEAD

A Swedish soldier was shot a few months ago in the head, and half his brain was blown out, in consequence of nil • 1 * Le P ar k of his mental powers. 1 his event has come to the ears of American journalists, who are giving the most- extraordinary accounts of it- For instance, they say that he can see a nea but not a horse, that he can hear a whisper but not a cannon shot, that he can understand English but not Sweetish, that he knows the first half off his name but not the second, that he hates the smell of violets hut loves the fragrance of onion- The facts regarding this young man are in themselves bo im--teresting that they need no exaggeration. After the shot he lay unconscious for a fortnight, and when he regained consciousness ho had completely lost his memory, and could not even remember liis own name. Gradually his memorv has returned, and lie recollected what happened in his childhood. And now he remembers everything up to the third day before the shot. HTs general health is good, iand his temper also. His senserial nerves are destroyed, .and his sense of sight is distinctly damaged. He has, for instance, lost the power of seeing anything at the side of him; he is obliged to look straight at an object. He lias also partly lost the capacity of reading and writing, and lost the power of combining letters, and this he will never regain, for which reason he will never lie able to take up work in which writing and reading are necessary. The State will certainly try to lessen the consequences of this accident, which iiappened during his term of 'service.