In the fourth issue of this journal, in 1907, I published some data regarding an unusual case of synesthesia that I discovered by chance in a young unmarried lady, Nerina U, whom I knew well and whom I knew to be absolutely truthful.

The fact was noticed in a scientific newspaper but being an isolated case, it was not of much value. I thought that, perhaps I had made an error of judgement regarding such exceptional facts when I received a letter from a young doctor in natural sciences, who comes from a family of prestige and honour due to culture, learning and patronage of the arts, such as those we read about in the history books.

Now, this letter talks about some facts of synaesthesia which are analogous to those presented in the lady of whom I had a chance to write about. And I am most pleased that the distinguished correspondent has given me leave to publish those details of the letter which will be of interest to the educated public. The author has not signed her permission to all parts of the letters because she has referred to other people who cannot now give their written authorization to speak about them.

Here is the relevant part of the letter:

"The reason for my interest in your studies on synaesthesia is because I suffer from phenomena similar to those in Miss Nerina U.

"My hesitation in writing to you of these sensations is that my friends and family have made fun of me whenever I have tried to explain the situation to them.

"Nobody would really want to admit to such a thing or understand. Except for an Aunt, who experienced similar phenomena, and another relative of mine who mentioned an incident of auditory-visual synaesthesia (the name Civitavecchia gave him a vision of a tow that is strung together over dry twigs). With the exception of these two people, no one else understands.

"And so here I am to tell you about my situation.

"I will limit myself to a few of the most distinct and strongly felt examples.

"Firstly, the word tomorrow (domani) corresponds to the smell of the country-bug (cimice di campagna). So much so that for me to say: `What a smell of tomorrow!` is the same as saying `it stinks of bugs!.`

"The smell of the fumes from the steam engine (grassi riscaldati) about to depart is equivalent to the words crime and derelict. (delitto and derelitto)."

"Antioco (Antioco) to celery (sedano) or cooked fennel (finocchio cotto)

"Giustiniano to roasted chestnuts and blemishes (magagnate)"

"Antonio has the smell of fresh bread"

"Gaetano smells of garlic."

"I experience hundreds of other similar feelings but they are less precise and easy to characterize. But having said that few are the names that don’t have at least some fleeting smell or a vague flavour associated with them."

"But up to now we have been dealing with auditory-olfactory sensations, which also in Miss Nerina U. seem to be the most frequently occuring; in fact she often referred to romagnolo cheese, stews (intingoli) and roasts (arrosti).

"I can also cite a few examples of sounds that can be tasted:

"Amilicare is especially sweet.

"The name Amalia reminds me of the half melted grains of sugar at the bottom of a cup of coffee with milk which sweet-tooths gulp down with their last sip.

"The name Marco is very peppery.

"And it is odd to observe that in both Miss Nerina U. and myself, the names Amalia, Amilcare, Gaetano, Marco bring to mind smells and tastes. But the funniest is that for me Amilcare is sweet but sour/acidic for Miss Nerina.

"Both of us have names that we associate with celery but for the lady it is the name Cristina and for me Antioco.

"I do not think it is worthwhile to quote a long list of names that bring to mind special which are associated with food and smells, it would just be more of the same, which for Miss Nerina U., are Chiara, Battista, Benedetto, Bibbiana. And please excuse my boldness in making this observation, which is simply that Biago has a close phonetic link with Ghiaccio (which means ice) and that Veronica is also the name of a well known flower.

"I can also say that Gaspare is the same as asparagi (asparagus) (phonetic link), Giacomo with little chocolates (there is a chocolate called Giacosa), Caterina fresh almonds (in Rome they are called Caterinone).

"Finally I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that it is not only proper names but also ordinary nouns that can remind me of tastes and smells. In the second place, because of the case of my aunt and my other relative, this could suggest synasthetic phenomena are possibly hereditary.

"I have also to say that it is never the written word which reminds me of smells and tastes but always that which is pronounced, and sometimes just as you have said, all that is necessary is that the pronunciation is endophasic."

"Excuse me for going on a bit; but it is in the hope that, as you have said at the end of your article, the exact knowledge of the different facts can lead us to a better understanding of such strange phenomena, I hope I have not been of too much trouble and that in some way I have helped you progress in your studies. L.C"

 

This observation is indeed interesting and, as we were saying, above all due to the similarity between the case of miss U of whom I have made extensive references. Moreover, here there is a mention of possible heredity but it is not enough to have sufficient value. Indeed, in the Father the phenomenon is limited to an association between Civitavecchia and certain rags strewn over sterpi [translation unsure], and in the Aunt, a nervous person, who during her youth had some hysterical outbursts, but nevertheless of an angelic nature, analogous occurrences of synaesthesia existed, indeed this is the reputation surrounding the woman, but we do not have anymore information or any of a more precise nature.

"A flower does not a garland make" goes the proverb, and certainly two observations do not allow for any inductions at least none which have not been plucked out of the air; but it is easily supposed that many and many more people exist who present with these phenomena and it would be worth while to better investigate, to bring everything more close at hand so as to try to discover the true origin.

This investigation, if successful, could shed new light on the genesis of the normal personality, maybe even better than those which our pathological tendencies reveal, and so it is difficult to commend ourselves enough to all those like Madam L.C who have the mind and eyes to observe, to want to observe and the will to publish the results of their research.

I think that this is an objective line of research, the psychoanalysis, ought to be attempted by he who has the fortune of finding himself in the right circumstances, but at the moment that which is most important is that many if not all of those who exhibit analogous phenomena communicate and make themselves known because the study of the differences between the various cases can only be fruitful.