pathology of lying-第45节
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bout the place wanted to take liberties with her。 She was observed flirting and making advances to thrashers and others。 She had to be found a new home； and this time it was in a city； where new accusations were made against a delivery boy。 After this the young woman made off and shifted for herself for a time； and succeeded in getting some shady character to produce an abortion on her。 Later； she again came to the official attention of the social agency by reason of making new accusations。 From the date of her impregnation to the time we first studied her； a period of about 10 months； she had made serious accusations against many。 When her lies were told in a new environment they； of course； always made new trouble。 Each time； however； the girl herself was the loser。 Her real partner at the wedding feast had early deposited several hundred dollars for the expected infant。
We found a strong； normally developed young woman of rather attractive appearance for the grade in society from which she came。 No sensory defect。 Diseased tonsils。 Complained of constant suffering from pelvic conditions； perhaps induced by the abortion。 However； being such a strong type she has been able to get about well and do her daily work。 When we saw her she was employed in a factory。
The question put to us was concerning her mentality。 She came of a Slavic peasant family； had been in this country only 6 years； and her relatives spoke only Slavic。 She had been to school but a very short time； either in the old country or here。 Because of the language difficulty； the giving of many tests； such as those in the upper years of the Binet system； could be regarded as most unfair。 However； the simpler language tests she did fairly well； especially those where she could understand the commonsense questions。 In regard to her acquirement of English； she has done better than her relatives； who continue to live in a neighborhood where their own Slavic dialect is spoken。 When it came to dealing reasoningly with concrete situations； such as those presented by our performance tests； this young woman did comparatively wellquite above the grade of the feebleminded。 Our diagnosis； then； was that she could best be regarded as poor in ability or possibly subnormal as compared with our general population； but as correlated with her peasant type she was probably normal。
From the standpoint of aberration one could find no evidences of anything but eroticism and a constant tendency to deviate from the truth。 About the affair of the abortion she showed herself unexpectedly shrewd； maintaining that she had had to work very hard carrying stones when a new silo was being built on the farm； and at her next menstrual period she had flowed for a week or so； and that was all there was to it； except that she had been suffering from pains continually since。 （The charitable organization knew she had visited the office of a notorious abortionist。） She smiled much in a silly way when in the company of men； she proved herself easily led。 Taking it altogether； there was no reason for considering her insane； or as being in any way a psychopathic personality。 She showed no stigmata of degeneracy。
There was no opportunity to get a satisfactory family history。 Many of the relatives were still in the old country。 A sister and brothers have been known in the neighborhood where this girl lived； and are said to appear quite normal in their simple ways of living。 They are of the peasant type and good laborers； but given to occasional indulgence in feasting with alcoholic embellishments。 From the sister we learned that this girl had passed through a sickly childhood and had been most irregularly brought up on account of the illnesses of her mother。 She was not known as a liar when younger。 Her short school record showed nothing of value for diagnosis。 What happened to this girl was no great exception； among these people； we know from their own accounts； free and easy sex relationships are common。 We are advised that it was long ago known that this girl was going with bad companions。
In this case we advised gynecological and other medical treatment and segregation in a reformatory or industrial school。 The young woman could be regarded as nothing else than a dangerous person in any community。 Even when being brought to us she had endeavored to flirt with a conductor on the train。 A fair diagnosis could only be that she was； for the present at least； morally irresponsible。
This case has been only recently studied and no further report can be given。 It is cited in illustration of the fact that was not clearly brought out by our other cases； namely； that a period of stress may be very definitely the exciting factor in developing pathological lying and accusation。 This stands out particularly clearly in this case because the young woman had； prior to the wedding feast； been a good worker and had given no trouble in the community。
CHAPTER V
CASES OF PATHOLOGICAL LYING IN BORDER…LINE MENTAL TYPES
We could load our pages with histories of cases where the statement of delusions； unrecognized as such； has created much trouble in courts and out； but this type of case is too well known to need any illustration。 Text books of psychiatry deal with the falsifications of paranoia and other insanities。 That the really insane also sometimes lie pathologically； that is； tell for no normal purpose what they adequately know to be untrue； is a fact not so well understood。 But even that we need not be especially concerned with in our case histories。 It has been well brought out in the previous literature on pathological lying； as witness in our Chapter II。 In the present chapter we do not include the out…and…out insane； nor the definitively feeble…minded； nor the recognizably epileptic。
Much more difficult of understanding and much less easily recognized because of the mildness of many of the symptoms； or their variations from time to time； are the types which we enumerate。 Several of these offer no complete picture of insanityeven Case 25； although clearly aberrational； extremely defective in self…control； and markedly criminalistic； did not show to some psychiatrists who observed him a sufficiently clear correspondence to any form of insanity as laid down in the old…school text…books to be practically regarded as insane and in need of long segregation。 In considering this whole matter we must never forget that there is no wall of demarcation between those whose conduct clearly betokens insanity and those who are not insane。 There are plenty of instances where the easily passable border between the two is permanently occupied or is at times approached。
We keep our border…line cases separate in order to emphasize that pathological lying by an insane person does not make a pathological liar in the true sense。 We should hesitate； however； to give in legal form a verdict of insanity in several of these border…line cases we citethey are very difficult to classify； and the question of responsibility called for sometimes in court work is unanswerable。 Keeping even these mild cases away from our others serves； however； to lessen confusion； we need in this subject to conserve all the clearness possible by holding to fundamental classifications and showing up vagueness of definition where it does exist。
Perhaps we are over…particular in keeping such a case as No。 22 in this chapter。 The commonsense observer would hardly regard this girl as at all lacking； even in self…control。 On the other hand； for the purpose of illustrating the subject of pathological accusation we have kept Case 17 in the previous chapter when it clearly shows great resemblance to Case 26 and is in reality a border…line type。 Then； too； the swindler； Case 12； in some respects belongs in this chapter。
We are hardly called on in this work to discuss the lying of drug habitues； although they so frequently in their mental conditions represent border…line types。 They are often on the verge of a psychosis as the result of their intoxications。 Their lying is mostly done for a purpose； to be sure； and hence much would not come under the head of pathological lying； but occasionally veracity is so much interfered with that there seems to be a tendency to aimless lying。 This class of cases； however； is sufficiently discussed in special literature pertaining to the subject。＇24＇
＇24＇ Vide； ‘‘Morphinism and Narcomanias From Other Drugs；'' by T。 D。 Crothers。 Philadelphia； Saunders and Co。； 1902。 Also Chapter V； Stimulants and Narcotics； in ‘‘The Individual Delinquent；'' by William Healy Boston； Little； Brown； and Co。； 1915。
CASE 22
Summary： A girl of 14； a most vigorous and vivacious personality； had for a couple of years pursued a curiously active career of misrepresentation； of obtaining goods under false pretenses and running away from home even to distant places。 Her conversational ability was above normal； her lies were evolved for the purpose of adapting herself to the peculiar circumstances in which she frequently found herself。 Her general conduct combined with her abnormal psychomotor activity gave ground for the diagnosis of constitutional excitementhypomani
