90 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



disposition of Kasim minor made him quite harmless, but tlie 

 other Kasim was rather a dangerous subject to play tricks 

 with, as I will presently explain. 



" The Idtali man or woman usually met with, if suddenly 

 startled by a touch, a noise, or the sight of something unex- 

 pected, will not only show all the signs of a very nervous per- 

 son, but almost invariably will fire off a volley of expressions 

 more or less obscene, having no reference at all to the circum- 

 stance which has suddenly aroused attention. As a rule, it is 

 necessary to startle these people before they will say or do 

 anything to show that they are differently constituted to their 

 neighbours, and when they have betrayed themselves either 

 by word or deed their instinct is to get away as quickly as 

 possible. Children, and even grown-up people, cannot always 

 resist the pleasure of ' baiting ' a Idtah person, for one reason 

 because it is so exceedingly easy, for another because they are 

 inclined on the spur of the moment to do ludicrous things or 

 say something they would under ordinary circumstances be 

 ashamed of. Almost invariably Idtali persons of this class 

 (and it is by far the most common one) are very good-humoured, 

 and never seem to think of resenting the liberty taken with 

 their infirmity. If by word or deed they commit themselves 

 (and that is not uncommon), they either run away, or appear 

 to be unconscious of having said or done anything unusual 

 (this, however, is rare), or they simply say, ' I aixi Idtah,' as 

 a full explanation and excuse. If any one present accidentally 

 drops something on the floor, if a lizard falls from the roof on 

 to or near a liitaJi person, if the wind blows the shutter of a 

 window to with a bang, a idtaJi person of the class I speak of 

 will probably find it necessary to at least say something not 

 usually heard in polite society. Of this class by far the 

 majority are women. I have never seen a Idtah boy or girl, 

 but I know they are to be found, though the disease certainly 

 becomes more evident as the subject grows older. It must be 

 understood that, except when under influence, when actually 

 shQwing the evidences of this strange peculiarity, Idtah people 

 are undistinguishable from others. It is sufticieut proof of 

 this that amongst my twenty-five police there should have 

 been two men more completely Idtah than any I have seen 

 before or since. 



" I took occasion to carefully observe the two Kasims. It 

 was impossible to always prevent their companions teasing 

 them, especially in a place where there was absolutely no 

 form of amusement, and all the conditions of life were as un- 

 pleasant as they well could be; but no harm was ever done, and 

 I am satisfied that while influence was in any way exercised over 

 the Idtah man he was not conscious of his own actions, and 

 directly it was removed he became his reasoning other self, 



