pathology of lying-第20节

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h　valuable　time　before　they　felt　convinced　that　it　was　a　fabrication。　　The　exact　locations　could　not　be　discovered；　but　then　Marie　was　a　stranger　in　the　city。

When　we　saw　her　the　whole　story　was　reiterated　with　but　few　changes；　which；　however；　from　the　standpoint　of　testimony　were　most　important。　　We　soon　found　we　could　get　direct　testimony　on　physical　features　which　were　provably　untrue。　　For　instance；　the　description　of　a　certain　hallway　in　a　building　where　she　had　gone　with　one　of　the　men　interested　in　the　events　was　totally　unlike　anything　that　existed　there。　　Then；　too；　certain　embellishments；　which　by　this　time　included　the　payment　of　a　large　check　to　her　as　hush　money；　a　check　which　she　as　easily　gave　away　again；　seemed　altogether　improbable。　　Marie　by　this　time　was　implicating　herself　in　a　burglary　with　this　relative；　and　some　other　curious　incidents　were　given。　　In　all　of　these；　as　we　later　found；　there　was　a　central　event　about　which　her　statements　MIGHT　have　been　true。　　There　was　such　a　burglary；　she　had　said　in　previous　years　that　she　was　hounded　by　a　man；　and　so　on。　　We；　too；　were　struck　by　the　uselessness　and　lack　of　purpose　in　the　lyingfor　we　soon　felt　assured　that　it　was　such。

Physically　we　found　Marie　to　be　a　decidedly　good　specimen。　　She　weighed　about　140　lbs。　　Strong　and　firm　in　carriage。　　Vivacious　in　expression。　　The　physical　examination　at　the　university　had　shown　her　to　be　without　notable　defect　of　any　kind。　　We　can　summarize　Marie's　characteristics　by　stating　that　from　the　earliest　age　of　which　we　can　get　satisfactory　record；　when　she　was　about　10　years　old；　she　has　been　persistently　addicted　to　falsehoods。　　Even　then　she　made　up；　without　any　basis；　stories　which　puzzled　many　people。　　It　is　much　to　the　point　that　she　has　been　a　great　loser　on　account　of　this　tendency；　it　has　injured　her　reputation　on　numerous　occasions　and　destroyed　many　of　her　good　chances。　　When　she　was　about　15　it　was　noticed　that　she　was　a　great　day…dreamer。　　She　thought　she　could　write　stories　and　once　began　a　novel。　　Much　more　peculiar　than　this　was　the　fact　that　she　repeatedly　wrote　letters　to　her　friends　which　were　simply　a　mass　of　fabrications；　describing　such　things　as　imaginary　excursions。

Tests　for　mental　ability　were　not　given　in　this　case；　there　was　no　need　for　it。　　Her　marks　in　the　preparatory　course　were　just　fair。　　It　had　been　noted　by　her　teachers；　as　well　as　by　her　foster　parents；　that　she　was　prone　to　have　periods　when　attention　to　her　work　seemed　difficult。　　Aside　from　her　peculiarities；　which　showed　themselves　entirely　in　her　fabricating　tendency　and　her　assumed　illnesses；　nothing　much　out　of　the　way　in　her　mental　life　had　ever　been　noted。　　On　several　occasions　she　had　taken　to　her　bed；　but　when　a　physician　was　called；　a　diagnosis　was　given　of　simulation；　or　hysteria。　　Nothing　like　major　hysterical　attacks　at　any　time　occurred；

From　most　excellent　sources　of　information　we　have　obtained　an　account　of　the　family　history。　　No　instance　of　insanity　is　known；　but　it　is　said　there　is　much　evidence　of　ignorance　and　superstition。　　Marie's　mother　bore　a　good　character；　but　was　decidedly　ignorant。　　At　about　the　age　of　50　she　made　a　homicidal　attack　upon　a　second　husband　and　then　killed　herself。　　The　father　was　an　industrious　and　sober　laborer；　but　unable　to　support　his　large　family。　　At　his　death　in　Marie's　early　childhood　the　family　was　broken　up　and　the　ten　children　were　distributed　about。　　None　of　the　children　is　said　to　be　abnormal　mentally；　but　there　has　been　a　tendency　to　free　living；　even　on　the　part　of　the　older　sisters。　　It　seems　very　sure　that　no　other　member　of　the　family　was　given　to　telling　false　stories。　　The　brothers　have　been　inclined　to　be　shiftless　and　to　roam；　but　then　the　environmental　conditions　often　have　been　against　them。　　However；　some　of　them　have　done　well。　　In　general；　as　far　as　Marie　is　concerned；　it　may　be　said　early　home　environment　was　not　bad　except　on　account　of　poverty。　　Marie　bears　no　traces　of　having　suffered　from　defective　conditions　before　or　after　birth。　　Her　early　developmental　history　appears　to　be　negative。　　She　has　lived　about　in　several　different　homes；　the　longest　stay　being　about　seven　years。　　In　one　place　she　was　suspected　of　masturbation；　but　we　were　unable　to　get　a　perfectly　definite　statement　that　she　was　addicted　to　the　habit。

Two　years　prior　to　the　time　we　knew　Marie　she　had　worked　up　a　story　of　adventure　in　which　she　was　the　heroine。　　She　used　the　telephone　to　call　for　help；　stating　that　she　stood　with　a　revolver　covering　a　burglar。　　From　this　incident　she　gained　a　good　deal　of　notoriety。　　The　police　found　there　was　nothing　to　the　case　and　later　Marie　herself　made　a　confession。　　By　the　time　we　saw　her　this　story　varied　somewhat　from　her　original　statement；　but　was　still　persisted　in；　although　she　must　have　known　that　we　could　readily　trace　the　actual　occurrence。

After　Marie　had　continued　her　stories　for　a　few　weeks　while　attending　the　university　they　had　grown　so　that　they　included　night　visitations　in　her　boarding…house　from　the　man　who　was　said　to　be　hounding　her；　she　was　found　once　more　impossible　to　deal　with　and；　as　her　work　became　poorer；　she　had　to　leave。　　At　this　period　it　was　most　significant　to　us　that　in　spite　of　her　expressed　desire　for　freedom　from　persecution　she　did　not　want　us　to　look　further　into　her　case　because　of　certain　mysterious　letters　which　would　incriminate　her。　　We　felt　entirely　convinced　that　the　several　reports　which　we　received　of　her　career　in　preceding　years　gave　a　satisfactory　clew　to　her　character；　although　we　were　never　able　to　analyze　the　case　far　enough　to　ascertain　the　genetic　features。　　Thus　it　is　impossible　to　make　any　summary　of　causative　factors。



CASE　6

Summary：　　A　thoroughly　characteristic　example　of　the　type　of　pathological　lying　which　led　to　the　invention　of　the　term　pseudologia　phantastica。　　A　young　woman；　well　endowed　physically　and　mentally；　for　years　has　often　been　indulging　in　extensive　fabrications　which　have　no　discernible　basis　in　advantages　accruing　to　herself。　　The　peculiarities　of　the　falsifications　have　given　rise　to　much　trouble　for　her；　her　family；　and　for　many　others　who　have　been　incidentally　connected　with　the　situation。　　The　genesis　of　the　tendency　was　finally　found　in　early　experiences　about　which　there　have　been　much　mental　repression　and　conflict。　　In　the　background　there　was　also　defective　home　control　and　chronic　neuropathic　tendencies　in　both　parents　and　in　their　kin。


Janet　B。；　19　years　old；　we　saw　first　in　an　eastern　city　at　the　request　of　her　parents。　　There　she　had　become　involved　in　troubles　which　seemed　particularly　hard　to　unravel。　　However；　we　were　told　that　this　was　an　old　story　with　her。　　A　diagnosis　of　her　mental　condition　was　asked；　and　recommendations　for　the　future。　　Janet　had　told　some　very　peculiar　stories　at　her　place　of　employment　where　she　was　doing　very　well　as　a　newcomer；　without　any　seeming　reason　for　fabrication。　　Several　who　had　become　interested　in　her　were　wondering　if　she　were　quite　sane。

After　having　made　her　way　alone　to　New　York；　Janet　readily　obtained　employment。　　After　a　couple　of　weeks　she　approached　a　department　manager　of　the　concern　for　which　she　worked　and　related　a　long　story；　which　at　once　aroused　his　sympathy。　　She　told　him　that　her　father　and　mother　had　died　in　the　last　year　and　that　she　was　entirely　dependent　upon　herself。　　When　she　was　about　four　years　of　age　she　had　been　in　a　terrible　accident　and　a　certain　man　had　saved　her　life。　　Naturally；　her　father　had　always　thought　very　highly　of　this　person　and　had　pensioned　him。　　Formerly　he　lived　up　in　the　country　with　his　family；　but　at　present　was　old；　penniless；　and　alone　in　the　city。　　Now　that　her　parents　were　dead　she　was　in　a　quandary　about　keeping　up　her　father's　obligation　to　the　old　man。　　Out　of　her　8　a　week　it　was　hard　to　make　both　ends　meet。　　She　had　to　pay　her　own　board　and　for　this　man　also。　　She　found　that　he　needed　to　be　taken　care　of　in　every　way；　she　had　to　wash　his　face　and　dress　him；　he　was　so　helpless。　　She　made　no　demand　for　any　increase　of　salary　and　the　story　was　told　evidently　without　any　specific　intent。　　The　services　of　a　social　worker　were　enlisted　by　the　firm　and　the　girl　reiterated　the　same　story　to　her；　even　though　it　was　clearly　intended　that　the　case　should　be　investigated。　　Janet's　boarding…house　was　visited　and　there　she　was　found　to　be　living　with　distant　relatives　whom　she　had　searched　out　upon　her　arrival　in　the　city。　　They　knew　she　had　run　away　from　home　and；　indeed；　by　this　time　the　mother　herself　was　already　in　New　York；　having　been　sent　for　by　them。

The　situation　then　became　more　complicated　through　the　girl's　giving　more　explanatory　details　to　the　social　worker；　somewhat　accusing　her　own　family。　　It　was　at　this　time　I　first　saw　her。　　She　then　acknowledged　that　this　story　of　a　man　who　had　saved　her　life　was　purely　an　invention。　　Now　she　stated　that　in　the　western　town　where　she　lived　she　had　been　engaged　to　a　young　man　who　was　discovered　to　be　a　defaulter　and　who　had　recently　died。　　When　this　fellow　was　in　trouble；　his　mother；　while　calling　on　Janet's　family；　used　to　make　signals　to　her　and　leave　notes　under　the　table　cover；　asking　for　funds　with　whic