Memory Systems New and Old/Chapter 4

by A. E. Middleton

CHAPTER IV.

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UTILITY OF MNEMONICS.

IT has long been the custom for writers on memory to decry the use of what they have been pleased to term artificial aids, recommending instead the moderate and constant use of the faculty, and specially impressing on their readers that all that is necessary to develop a good memory is a healthy brain, and careful attention to the idea or fact to be remembered, and in the case of arbitrary characters frequent repetition. This advice, however, is better in theory than in practice. Later writers take a broader view, and admit that something more than mere attention is required to develop a good memory. The following four rules for improving the memory are sensible and suggestive:—1.—The habit of fixing the mind, like the eye, upon one object. 2.—The application of the powers of reflection. 3.—The watchfulness of the powers of understanding, known in a good sense as curiosity. 4.—Method.

Professor Godwin, in his "Intellectual Principles," re-marks on the same subject:—"Much is forgotten, but much is remembered; and more might be remembered, and re-called more readily and correctly, if the laws of memory were properly known and used. . . . . The power of memory is increased by exercise. It is generally stronger in youth than in old age. The three most desirable qualities of memory are—facility, retentiveness, and readiness; and all these are improved by practice. The first and second depend much on the attention given to what is to be remembered; the third on the number, variety, and arrangement of associations by which it may be re-called. There are minds on which most impressions are so slight that they are soon forgotten. Others who have learnt and retained much, do not remember things at the right time. Few have memories so quick, retentive, and ready, as not to need some special culture; and there are none whose memories may not be improved by attending to what is most important, and forming associations to aid recollection. Arbitrary arrangements to aid in recalling dates, words, and facts which have no natural connection, are occasionally of use for a time; but natural connections are more lasting, and are on every account to be preferred when attainable. There seem to be some variety of memory—a special aptitude for remembering words, or numbers, or facts, or arguments, or voices, or faces. There is some difference in natural susceptibility; but most of the differences in memory are to be attributed to the degree of attention given to various objects, and to habits of observing and thinking." After reading a book or an article, or an item of information from any reliable source, it is a good plan, before turning your attention to other things, to give two or three minutes' quiet thought to the subject that has just been presented to your mind; see how much you can remember concerning it; and, if there were any new ideas, instructive facts, or hints of especial interest that impressed you as you read, force yourself to recall them. It may be a little troublesome at first, until your mind gets under control and learns to obey your will, but the very effort to think it out will engrave the facts deeply upon the memory—so deeply that they will not be effaced by the rushing in of a new and different set of ideas; whereas, if the matter be given no further consideration at all, the impressions you have received will fade away so entirely that within a few weeks you will be totally unable to remember more than a dim outline of them. The chief use of a system of mnemonics is to induce a person to pay the utmost regard to the natural laws of memory. With persons differently constituted no particular system can be expected to suit the requirements of each; but if the principles upon which a system is based agree with the natural laws of memory, there is no person who may not benefit from a study thereof. The result of a thorough course of exercises in mnemonics is a knowledge of the value of first impressions, which leads to the giving of greater attention; a knowledge of the powers of association, enabling ideas to be more readily recalled; and the gradual acquisition of a method in storing the mind. It also has the effect of curing mind wandering. This common defect is caused by a want of concentration and purpose. The will is weak and the mind wanders aimlessly from one idea to another without a why or a wherefore. A course of mnemonical exercises leads to the habit of arranging the ideas, condensing, analyzing, and classifying them; and this ensures a rivetting to and concentration of the powers of the mind on the subject under attention.

It is often urged that a system of mnemonics is useless for every-day life. This is to some extent true. The chief object of a good system is to direct how the natural powers may be used and developed, and those who thoroughly study such a system will find that this object is attained, whether or not the details of any particular system be applicable to matters of every-day life.

There are, however, few persons who have not, at some time or the other, used mnemonical aids. Who has not had to recite the rhyme "Thirty days hath September," &c., to find the number of days in a month? and every schoolboy will recollect—

Conjunctions couple words together, As clear and cold but pleasant weather."

Also the Latin prepositions:—

"A, ab, abs and absque de,Coram, clam, cum, ex, and e Tenus, sine, pro, and præ."

What is termed the "monthly letters" are represented by the initials of the very old lines:—

At Dover Dwell George Brown, Esquire, Good Christopher Finch, And David Frier.

Then there are the old syllogistic symbols so dear to the logician, which were arranged as a memory aid as follows:—

Barbara, Celarent, Darii, Ferioque prioris.Cesare, Camestres, Festino, Baroko, secundæ. Tertia, Darapti, Disamis, Datisi, Felapton.Bokardo, Ferison habet, quarta insupur additBramantip, Camenes, Dimaris, Fesapo, Fresison.

The fact that smooth rhymes strongly impress the memory has always been taken advantage of. This fact suggested to Brayshaw his mnemonical system; and Stokes remarks that he prefers rhyming to being prosy.

Southey, the poet, was not above writing the following doggerel as a memory aid for his daughter:—

"A cow's daughter is called a calf;A sheep's child a lamb. My darling must not say 'I are,'But always say 'I am.'"

Rhyming "Books of the Bible," "Parts of Speech," &c., are common, and have often been found useful. The following on the Zodiacal Signs is not so well known:—

"The Ram, the Bull, the Heavenly Twins,And next the Crab the Lion shines, The Virgin, and the Scales,The Scorpion, Archer, and Sea-Goat,The man who holds the watering-pot,And the Fish with glittering scales."

Another instance of the utility of mnemonics may be adduced. When, in February, 1870, the Government took over the private companies' telegraphic systems, they had to provide for the inevitable increase of work by immediately teaching telegraphy to an enormous number of learners. At this juncture some quick process was needed, and a mnemonical arrangement was adopted for the rapid learning of the telegraphic symbols. The Morse alphabet, as is well known, is composed of dots and dashes. To simplify the Learning of the symbols they were divided into groups—One group, T M O Ch, was represented by one to four dashes respectively, and to fix the order of these four letters in the learner's memory, the mnemonical phrase, "Turnips Make Oxen Cheerful," was invented. A W J U V were similarly associated with "A Wet Jacket's Uncomfortable, Very!" The other sentences were "Earwigs Infest Summer Houses," "No Difficulty Baffles Great Zeal," "Remember! Law Preserves Freedom," and "Kindness Conciliates Youth Xtremely Quickly."

Several other mnemonical arrangements are also used in telegraphy, such as abbreviated words, to save time in transmission; a two or three letter symbol to denote every telegraph office in the kingdom (as GW for Glasgow, LV for Liverpool, TS for London, &c.); and the substitution of letters for numerals. To facilitate the transmission of the exact time a message is handed in, the letters A to Mare used to represent 1 to 12 (J being discarded), the same letters being also used for each of the twelve periods of five minutes which make up the hour. The intervening minutes are represented by the letters R S W X, expressing respectively 1, 2, 3, and 4 minutes. A B R would thus express 1.11; B A S, 2.7; K G W, 10.38; and G G X, 7.39. The value of this system will be seen when it is mentioned that upon the time of reception depends the priority of transmission. Numbers are each expressed by five dots or dashes, or a combination of both. To save time these are abbreviated to a, 1; u, 2; v, 3; e, 5; b 7; d, 8; n, 9; and t, 0. It will thus be seen that in the busiest and most extensive Government organization mnemonics find a prominent and constant place.