734 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



slie then reproached herself for this idea, felt that she had done 

 this person a wrong, felt that she must make amends in some way, 

 confessed her idea to the person, and was met by natural remon- 

 strances which increased her distress. She lives with some rela- 

 tives, and has a frequent impulse to go behind them and push 

 them downstairs. She has never done so, but reproaches herself 

 for the idea. If she sees a rug on the floor lying crooked, the idea 

 comes to her that one of these relatives may stumble on it, and 

 this for the moment gratifies her ; then she reproaches herself for 

 the thought, goes and fixes the rug ; is not satisfied with the way 

 she has fixed it ; wonders if she could have placed it so that it 

 could trip up this relative ; fixes it again, over and over, some- 

 times twenty or thirty times, and can not get rid of the idea that 

 after fixing it she would be guilty if her relative slipped upon it. 

 The doubts extend to other things. She will turn out the gas on 

 going to bed, then has to go back and feel of the fixture to be 

 sure that it is turned out, and often repeats this twenty times be- 

 fore she can get rid of the idea that it is really turned on. In 

 her room she has to arrange everything in a very precise man- 

 ner, and often spends hours placing and replacing objects be- 

 fore she can satisfy herself that they are right. It is impos- 

 sible for her to argue with herself regarding these matters, and 

 if she resists the tendency to repeat an act she gets into a state 

 of distress, with palpitation of the heart and every evidence of 

 intense anxiety, which nothing will quiet except the repetition 

 of the act. 



A lady aged twenty-nine had mental symptoms since the age 

 of eighteen, when great timidity in driving began. She gets nerv- 

 ous at any excitement. She is subject to morbid fears; sees a 

 match-box, wonders if the matches are safe might they get out, 

 and be lighted and set things on fire ? hence, goes to the match- 

 box, and makes sure it is shut ; then goes back again, and so may 

 repeat this twenty times. She can not reason with herself. Or, 

 she wonders if the windows are shut ; has to go and put her hand 

 on the window to be sure, and this she does again and again. If she 

 has medicine, she fears it will get out of the bottle ; she goes and 

 feels to see if the bottle is corked. She has the constant fear that 

 things are not right, and has to reassure herself. Has to say 

 things in a special way, and over and over, so it is hard for her 

 to talk, and she repeats words. In reading she notices each word 

 and can not read fast, but must read exactly ; hence, she takes no 

 pleasure in reading. Her condition makes her restless and melan- 

 choly. She is perfectly sane, but she is the victim of a morbid 

 tendency to doubt the certainty of any idea which presents itself 

 to the mind. 



In all these cases the act which is done, and which is apparent- 



