may mean both, the divergence being due to different interpretations bestowed upon this phenomenon. Masselon speaks of a "véritable obscurcissment de l'image-souvenir," he considers the disturbances of memory as "la disparition de la conscience de certains souvenirs, et l'incapacité du malade à les retrouver." The contradiction of both conceptions becomes clear without further explanation when one thinks of the psychology of hysteria. When a hysterical patient replies during the anamnesis "I do not know, I have forgotten," it simply means "I cannot or will not say it, for it is something very unpleasant."[1] Very often the "I don't know" is so awkward that the reason for not knowing is quite obvious. I have given many experimental proofs to show that the defects occurring in the association experiments, such as want of reaction, have the same psychology.[2] It is often only with difficulty that one can decide whether hysterics really do not know or whether they merely cannot or will not answer. Those who are in the habit of examining cases of dementia præcox in a somewhat detailed manner realize what exertion is often necessary to obtain the proper information. Sometimes one is certain that the patients know it, again it is an obstruction (Sperrung) which makes quite an involuntary impression upon one, and finally there are cases in which one is obliged to talk about an "amnesia" just as in hysteria, where from amnesia to unwillingness to talk is only a step. Finally the association experiment shows us that these phenomena exist in the normal person, though only in nuce.[3] According to Masselon the disturbances of memory and attention originate from the same source, though it is not clear from what source. In contrast to this the author finds ideas that obstinately persist, which he qualifies as follows: "Certain memories which were formerly more intimately connected with the effective personality of the patient tend to reproduce themselves incessantly and
- ↑ See the works of Freud, also Riklin: Zur Psychologie hysterischer Dämmerzustände und des Ganserschen Symptoms. Psych.-neur. Wochenschr., 1906.
- ↑ Diagnost. Assoz. Stud., IV Beitrag. Über das Verhalten der Reaktionszeit beim Assoziationsexperiment u. Experimentelle Beobachtungen über das Erinnerungsvermögen. Zentr.-Bl. f. Nervenheilk. u. Psych., Jahrgang XXVIII, p. 653.
- ↑ Cf. Diagnost. Assoz. Stud., IV Beitrag.
