pathology of lying-第15节

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andled　through　the　police　court　and　was　sentenced　to　a　state　hospital　for　the　insane　for　a　term　of　6　months。　　The　charge　was　that　she　was　an　idle　person　and　a　beggar；　and　she　was　regarded　as　perhaps　being　unbalanced。　　The　report　from　this　town　is　that　she　would　be　taken　with　‘‘spells　of　apparent　violent　illness　on　the　street；　in　the　trolley　cars；　at　railroad　stations；　and　so　be　carried　to　various　hospitals　and　doctors'　homes。''　　She　has　visited　numerous　cities；　getting　her　sustenance　largely　through　hospitals　and　physicians。

After　being　admitted　into　one　famous　hospital　and　showing　some　of　her　curious　manifestations　she　was　transferred　to　a　state　institution　in　the　vicinity　to　be　studied　for　insanity。　　Correspondence　with　one　physician　tells　the　story　of　how　five　years　ago　he　was　called　from　a　medical　meeting　to　attend　this　‘‘girl''　who　had　been　taken　from　a　trolley　car　into　his　home。　　She　was　apparently　suffering　great　pain　in　the　region　of　the　old　appendicitis　scar　and　she　was　conveyed　in　an　ambulance　to　a　hospital。　　After　investigation　for　a　few　days；　it　was　decided　she　was　hysterical　or　a　simulator。　

On　numerous　occasions　her　feigned　illness　has　been　so　apparently　overcoming　that　she　has　had　to　be　transferred　in　an　ambulance　to　a　hospital。　　One　of　her　usual　performances　has　been　to　get　into　some　home　or　institution　and　then　keep　others　awake　all　night　with　her　signs　of　distress。　　It　is　interesting　that　she　has　used　the　same　methods　over　and　over　again；　but　has　been　adroit　enough　to　vary　the　illnesses　which　she　has　simulated。　　At　one　time　investigation　in　a　hospital　seemed　to　show　that　she　was　neurasthenic。　　She　has　been　given　chances　in　homes　for　convalescents；　but　has　never　maintained　herself　in　such　a　place　for　long。　　We　note　she　was　sent　back　from　one　of　these　to　the　main　hospital　on　account　of　having　vomited　the　medicine　she　had　been　given。　　In　fact；　she　has　repeatedly　been　found　resisting　the　treatment　which　had　been　prescribed。

The　record　of　admission　and　treatment　given　in　one　hospital　is　of　peculiar　interest。　　She　was　received　there　four　years　ago　and　evidently　had　been　unable　just　previously　to　take　care　of　herself　properly　on　account　of　roaming。　　Her　clothing　was　dirty　and　her　head　unclean。　　She　was　found　to　have　the　old　appendicitis　scar；　which　contained　a　small　sinus。　　She　remained　in　bed　after　admission；　complaining　of　much　pain　in　her　abdomen；　not　well　localized　however；　and　would　lie　moaning；　crying；　and　rolling　across　the　bed。　　She　was　then　running　a　slight　temperature。　　After　a　time　an　operation　was　decided　upon　and　a　hairpin　was　found　in　the　abdominal　wall；　undoubtedly　inserted　through　the　scar　by　the　patient　herself。　　（The　findings　of　the　surgeon　in　Chicago；　then；　revealed　a　repeated　performance。）

At　another　place　the　patient　maintained　she　was　unable　to　urinate；　but　at　the　same　time　strongly　resisted　catheterization。　　From　the　variability　of　her　complaint　it　was　found　it　could　not　be　caused　by　a　local　condition；　and　examination　showed　no　reason　for　the　difficulty。　　Analysis　of　her　symptoms　undertaken　at　this　time　led　to　several　stories；　one　about　urethritis；　which　Inez　claimed　to　have　contracted　from　her　brother　at　3　years；　an　episode　when　she　had　received　a　great　fright　during　micturition；　an　incident　when　she　had　seen　a　man　exposed　when　she　went　to　the　toilet。　　（Of　course；　our　experience　with　this　type　of　case　leads　us　to　appreciate　the　difficulties　of　psychological　analysis　with　extreme　liars。）

On　one　occasion　she　entered　a　hospital；　claiming　to　have　been　recently　injured；　she　had　been　taken　in　a　supposed　fainting　condition　from　a　car。　　Then　it　was　she　maintained　that　she　had　been　struck　by　an　iron　bar　and　that　a　spike　had　entered　her　back。　　She　also　claimed　at　this　time　to　have　had　her　toes　frozen。　　Study　of　the　case　here；　too；　showed　no　signs　of　injury　or　frost　bite。　　On　another　occasion　she　told　of　having　been　dropped　by　a　nurse　while　being　lifted　from　a　bed。　　Altogether　her　stories　and　her　simulations　have　been　convincing　enough　to　get　for　her　on　many　occasions　good　attention　during　at　least　a　few　days。

We　can　get　no　account　of　true　hysterical　signs　being　discovered　by　any　one。　　There　has　been　no　showing　of　anything　but　that　she　is　a　liar　and　a　simulator。　　In　the　hospital　records　the　portions　devoted　to　previous　history　are　thoroughly　vitiated　by　her　untruthfulness；　and　they　contain　statements　which　offer　great　contradictions；　one　to　the　other。

Inez　has　been　observed；　then；　for　two　long　periods　by　psychiatrists。　　While　at　the　end　of　neither　period　were　the　observers　willing　to　state　that　the　young　woman　was　compos　mentis；　still　their　verdict　in　this　matter　had　to　be　made　up　from　considerations　of　her　social　behavior　rather　than　from　what　they　were　able　to　discern　by　direct　observation　of　her　mental　processes。　　From　one　case…record　we　read　that　‘‘The　patient　was　quiet；　pleasant；　and　agreeable；　replied　promptly　and　intelligently　to　questions；　and　talked　spontaneously　of　her　affairs。　　She　was　quite　clear　as　to　the　environment；　had　apparently　a　satisfactory　memory；　with　the　exception　of　a　recent　period　preceding　admission。　　Her　statements；　too；　were　probably　not　altogether　truthful；　but　frequently　a　reason　for　the　untruthfulness　was　made　out。　　She　thought　that　her　mind　was　all　right；　but　complained　of　having　occasional　difficulty　in　thinking。''

Another　prolonged　study　of　her　mental　status　was　made　four　years　ago。　　From　the　record　we　learn　that　there　were　no　apparent　reactions　to　hallucinations。　　Consciousness　was　clear　and　the　patient　was　completely　oriented　for　time；　place；　and　persons。　　The　train　of　thought　was　coherent　and　relevant。　　Questions　were　readily　answered　and　attention　easily　held。　　Memory　was　fair　for　most　events。　　School　knowledge　was　reasonably　well　retained。　　Judgment；　to　this　observer；　seemed　impaired；　although　no　definite　delusions　could　be　elicited。　　Emotionally　she　was　found　more　or　less　irritable；　fault　finding；　and　at　times　a　trifle　despondent。　　（Certainly　the　latter　would　be　a　natural　reaction　under　the　circumstances。）　　Often；　however；　she　was　found　cheerful　and　contented。　　No　special　volitional　disturbances　were　noted。　　Was　found　to　act　in　an　hysterical　manner　when　she　felt　ill。　　She　was　neat；　tidy；　and　cleanly　in　her　habits。　　Appetite　was　good　and　she　slept　well。　　Such　was　the　report　from　the　institution　where　she　was　held　for　six　months。　　There　was　no　material　change　in　her　condition　during　this　time；　she　showed　herself　very　proficient　with　the　needle；　she　was　discharged　when　her　sentence　expired。

We　note　a　statement　from　one　hospital　that　this　‘‘girl''　gave　no　evidence　of　having　had　any　direct　sexual　experience；　or　that　she　had　ruminated　much　over　these　matters。　　Her　story　about　frequent　fainting　attacks　given　at　this　time　was　not　corroborated　by　observation。　　The　diagnosis　from　one　hospital　was　neurasthenia；　but　investigation　of　her　case　in　most　places　seems　to　have　led　merely　to　the　conclusion　that　she　was　a　tremendous　liar。

Notwithstanding　our　long　record　of　this　case　and　the　accounts　which　have　been　handed　in　to　us　of　experiences　with　her　in　other　localities；　we　do　not　presume　to　know　a　tithe　of　the　places　Inez　has　been　to　or　lived　in　during　the　last　eight　years。　　It　is　more　than　likely　that　she　herself　would　find　it　difficult　to　give　any　accurate　account　of　her　rovings。　　At　the　time　we　first　saw　Inez　her　parents　had　not　heard　from　her　for　about　three　years。　　Shortly　after　this　we　found　that　she　had　renewed　correspondence　with　them　and　had　sent　them　money　as　if　she　were　now　prosperous。　　Her　family　have　all　along；　in　spite　of　her　stories；　been　poor。　　At　one　period　she　visited　several　cities　in　the　southeastern　states　and　was　at　a　hospital　in　one　of　them。　　In　Charleston　there　is　a　family　by　the　name　of　B。　（spelled　the　same　as　the　name　of　the　people　she　was　with　in　Tennessee）。　　These　were　the　people　Inez　asked　us　to　write　to　in　an　appeal；　because　they　had　long　known　her　and　were　wealthy；　for　a　chance　to　get　an　education。　　She　stated　they　were　immediate　relatives　of　the　B。's　in　Tennessee；　and　that　she　had　visited　them　once　at　their　fine　home　in　Charleston　for　three　or　four　months。　　These　people　replied　to　us　that　they　had　been　receiving　letters　for　years　from　associations　and　organizations　in　regard　to　this　girl　whom　they　had　never　seen。　　They　were　convinced　she　had　assumed　their　name　because　she　had　understood　they　were　well…to…do　and　liberal。　　‘‘We　know　nothing　about　her　education；　but　judge　she　has　enough　to　dupe　people　with；　posing　as　poor　at　one　time；　sick　at　another；　and　anxious　for　an　education　at　another；　as　you　inform　us。''

From　another　correspondent　with　whom　Inez　had　lived　in　Alabama　for　a　few　weeks　we　had　a　marvelous　tale　which　they　heard　from　her。　　She　had　told　them　she　formerly　lived　in　the　most　beautiful　part　of　New　Orleans　and　when　5　years　old　was　placed　in　a　convent；　and　then　taken　to　a　boarding…school；　from　which　she　was　kidnapped　and　taken　to　a　small　town　in　Georgia。　　She　was　later　placed　in　another　boarding…school　and　there　met　the　wealthy　B。's　of　Charleston　who　took　her　home　with　them。　　While　there　she　had　to　go　to　a　hospital　on　account　of　some　infection。　　One　day　she　was　thrust　into　a　taxicab；　taken　on　a　boat；　landed　at　another　ci