pathology of lying-第9节

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In　summary；　Rouma　stated　that　this　child　possessed　senses　acute　beyond　the　average；　and　was　of　very　unstable　temperament；　refusing　regular　work；　not　submitting　to　rules；　rebelling　at　abstractions。　　There　were　evidences　of　degeneracy　on　the　mother's　side。

Remedies　in　education　for　such　children　are：　　Suppress　food　for　imagination；　such　as　came　from　the　stories　of　father　and　brother。　　Direct　perceptions　to　accurate　work。　　Systematize　education　of　attention；　exercise　the　senses；　use　manual　work；　such　as　modeling　and　gardening。　　Give　lessons　in　observation　in　the　class　room　and　on　promenades。

Meunier＇23＇　tells　of　three　girls　in　a　well　known　Parisian　school　who　indulged　in　wonderful　tales。　　The　first；　in　the　intermediate　grade；　told　stories　of　the　illness　of　her　father　to　account　for　her　not　having　her　lessons。　　The　second；　11　years　old；　said　that　her　mother　was　dying；　she　came　bringing　this　news　to　the　teachers　at　two　different　periods　of　her　school　life。　　She　was　a　calm；　thoughtful；　analytical　child　with　no　reason　for　lying。　　Family　history　negative。　　The　third；　13　years　old；　told　of　an　imaginary　uncle　who　was　going　to　collect　funds　for　needy　children；　she　kept　up　the　deceit　for　two　months。　　She　was　an　anemic；　nervous；　hysterical　child　with　a　nervous　mother。　　Meunier　calls　these　cases　of　systematized　deliriums。　　The　development　of　such　delirium　annihilates；　so　to　speak；　the　entire　personality　of　the　subject；　and　his　entire　mental　life　is　invaded　by　abnormal　extra　and　introspectionthe　delirium　commands　and　systematizes　all　acquired　impressions。　　There　is　a　veritable　splitting　of　the　personality　in　which　the　new　‘‘ego''　is　developed　at　the　expense　of　the　normal　‘‘ego''　that　now　only　appears　at　intervals。


＇23＇　‘‘Remarks　on　Three　Cases　of　Morbid　Lying。''　　Journal　of　Mental　Pathology；　1904；　pp。　140…142。




CHAPTER　III

CASES　OF　PATHOLOGICAL　LYING　AND　SWINDLING

In　the　group　of　twelve　cases　making　up　this　chapter　we　have　limited　ourselves　to　a　simple　type　in　order　to　demonstrate　most　clearly　the　classical　characteristics　of　pathological　liars。　　How　pathological　lying　verges　into　swindling　may　be　readily　seen　in　several　of　the　following　cases；　e。g。；　Cases　3；　8；　10；　12；　although　only　two；　Cases　3　and　12；　have　had　time　as　yet　to　show　marked　development　of　the　swindling　tendency。　　For　the　purpose　of　aiding　in　the　demonstration　of　the　evolution　of　lying　into　swindling；　and　also　to　bring　out　the　fact　that　facility　in　language　may　be　the　determining　influence　towards　pathological　lying　and　swindling；　we　have　included　Case　12；　which　otherwise　possibly　might　be　considered　under　our　head　of　border…line　mental　types。

In　any　attempt　to　distinguish　between　pathological　accusers　and　liars；　cases　overlapping　into　both　groups　are　foundso　some　of　the　material　in　this　chapter　may　be　fairly　considered　as　belonging　partially　to　the　next　chapter。

In　discussing　the　possibility　of　betterment；　a　fact　which　we　as　well　as　others　have　observed；　consideration　of　Cases　1；　4；　and　7　is　suggested。


CASE　1

Summary：　　A　girl　of　16　applied　for　help；　telling　an　elaborate　tale　of　family　tragedy　which　proved　to　be　totally　untrue。　　It　was　so　well　done　that　it　deceived　the　most　experienced。　　Shrewd　detective　work　cleared　the　mystery。　　It　was　found　that　the　girl　was　a　chronic　falsifier　and　had　immediately　preceding　this　episode　become　delinquent　in　other　ways。　　Given　firm　treatment　in　an　institution　and　later　by　her　family；　who　knew　well　her　peculiarities；　this　girl　in　the　course　of　four　years　apparently　has　lost　her　previous　extreme　tendency　to　falsification。


Hazel　M。　at　16　years　of　age　created　a　mild　sensation　by　a　story　of　woe　which　brought　immediate　offers　of　aid　for　the　alleged　distress。　　One　morning　she　appeared　at　a　social　center　and　stated　she　had　come　from　a　hospital　where　her　brother；　a　young　army　man；　had　just　died。　　She　gave　a　remarkably　correct；　detailed；　medical　account　of　his　suffering　and　death。　　In　response　to　inquiry　she　told　of　a　year's　training　as　a　nurse；　that　was　how　she　knew　about　such　subjects。　　In　company　with　a　social　worker　she　went　directly　back　to　the　hospital　to　make　arrangements　for　what　she　requested；　namely；　a　proper　burial。　　At　the　hospital　office　it　was　said　that　no　such　person　had　died　there；　and　after　she　had　for　a　time　insisted　on　it　she　finally　said　she　must　have　been　dreaming。　　Although　she　had　wept　on　the　shoulder　of　a　listener　as　she　first　told　her　story；　she　now　gave　it　up　without　any　show　of　emotion。　　We　were　asked　to　study　the　case。

Hazel　sketched　to　us　a　well…balanced　story　of　her　family　life；　one　which　it　was　impossible　to　break　down。　　It　involved　experiences　at　army　postsshe　stated　her　only　relatives　were　brothers　in　the　armyand　her　recent　work　as　a　‘‘practical　nurse。''　　She　finally　led　on　to　the　death　of　her　brother；　as　in　the　tale　previously　told。　　When　asked　how　she　accounted　for　the　fact　that　no　such　person　was　found　in　the　hospital；　she　answered；　‘‘Well；　I　either　must　have　been　crazy　or　something　is　the　matter；　and　I　don't　think　my　mind　is　that　bad。''　　The　girl　evidently　was　suffering　from　loss　of　sleep；　her　case　was　not　further　investigated　until　after　a　long　rest。

The　next　day　Hazel　started　in　by　saying；　‘‘It's　enough　to　convince　anybody　that　I　was　not　in　the　hospital　when　Mrs。　B。　and　I　went　there　and　found　out　that　they　said　I　had　not　been　there。　　Truthfully　I　don't　know　where　I　was。　　If　I　was　not　there　I　must　have　been　some　place　or　I　must　have　been　in　a　trance。''　　The　long　stories　told　in　the　next　few　days　need　not　be　gone　into。　　They　contained　descriptions　of　life　with　her　family　in　several　towns　when　she　was　a　child；　of　her　graduation　from　the　high　school　in　Des　Moines；　and　of　her　experience　as　a　nurse　in　Cincinnati　and　Chicago。　　Our　cross…examination　disclosed　that　she　knew　a　good　many　facts　about　obstetrics；　in　which　she　said　she　had　had　training；　and　about　the　cities　where　she　said　she　had　lived。　　For　instance；　she　gave　a　description　of　the　Cliff　House　at　San　Francisco；　the　seals　on　the　rocks　there；　the　high　school　in　Des　Moines；　and　so　on。　　She　also　knew　about　life　at　army　posts。　　The　point　that　made　us　skeptical　was　when　in　mentioning　the　names　of　railroads　she　placed　the　wrong　towns　upon　them。　　For　instance；　she　told　us　her　brother　worked　on　the　L。　S。　&　M。　S。　at　Kenosha。

Hazel's　stories　were　successfully　maintained　for　several　days　until　a　shrewd　detective；　who　got　her　to　tell　some　street　numbers　in　Chicago；　ferreted　out　her　family。　　She　had　persistently　denied　the　existence　of　any　of　them　in　Chicago；　and；　indeed；　stated　that　her　father　and　mother　had　died　years　previously。　　One　of　the　most　convincing　things　about　her　was　her　poise；　she　displayed　an　attitude　of　sincerity　combined　with　a　show　of　deep　surprise　when　her　word　was　questioned。　　For　example；　the　moment　before　her　mother　was　brought　in　to　see　her；　she　was　asked　what　she　would　say　if　anyone　asserted　that　her　mother　was　in　the　next　room。　　Her　instantaneous；　emphatic　response　was；　‘‘She　would　have　to　rise　out　of　her　grave　to　be　there。''

We　soon　learned　that　not　a　single　detail　the　girl　had　given　about　her　family　was　true。　　She　was　born　and　brought　up　in　Chicago　and　had　never　been　outside　of　the　city。　　She　had　never　studied　nursing　nor　had　she　ever　nursed　anybody。　　In　public　school　she　had　reached　eighth　grade。

Hazel　came　of　an　intelligent　family　and　we　were　able　to　get　a　good　account　of　the　family　and　developmental　history。　　Heredity　seems　completely　negative　as　far　as　any　nervous　or　mental　abnormalities　are　concerned。　　She　is　one　of　seven　children；　four　of　whom　are　living；　three　having　died　in　infancy。　　The　father　had　just　recently　died　of　tuberculosis。　　There　has　been　no　trouble　with　the　other　children　of　any　significance　for　us。　　Pregnancy　with　Hazel　was　healthy；　but　the　mother　suffered　a　considerable　shock　when　she　stood　on　a　passenger　boat　by　the　side　of　a　man　who　jumped　overboard　and　committed　suicide。　　The　birth　was　difficult。　　The　child　weighed　12　lbs。　　Instruments　were　used；　it　was　a　breech　presentation。　　At　2　years　of　age　Hazel　was　very　ill　with　gastritis　and　what　was　said　to　be　spinal　meningitis。　　She　had　some　convulsions　then。　　Had　both　walked　and　talked　when　she　was　about　16　months　of　age。　　During　childhood　she　had　a　severe　strabismus　and　at　8　years　of　age　was　operated　upon　for　it。　　Vision　has　always　been　practically　nil　in　one　eye。　　Several　diseases　of　childhood　she　had　in　mild　form。　　After　she　was　2　years　of　age　she　had　no　more　convulsions；　or　spasms；　or　attacks　of　any　kind。　　From　the　standpoint　of　general　nervousness　Hazel　was　said　to　be　one　of　the　calmest　in　the　family；　although　she　was　accustomed　to　drink　five　or　six　cups　of　coffee　a　day。　　Menstruation　at　13　years；　no　irregularity。

On　examination　we　found　a　very　well　nourished　and　well　developed　young　woman　of　slouchy　attitude　and　normal　expression。　　Vision　very　defective　in　one　eye　and　10/20；　even　with　glasses；　in　the　other。　　Slight　strabismus。　　General　strength　good。　　Examination　otherwise　negative　except　for　the　fact　that　she　had　been　infected　with　the　diplococcus　of　Neisser。

Mental　tests　proved　her　to　have　quite　normal　ability。　　Neither　special　ability　nor　disabilities　of　significance　were　discovered。　　For　present　discussion　it　is