[BOWMAN] DISCREPANCY IN TRUSTWORTHY RECORDS 147 
temporary relapses induced by the least over-strain. B, though far 
advanced toward recovery on the whole, is in the midst of such a 
temporary relapse of about a month’s duration. (1) A gentleman 
whom B met recently for the first time and who knows nothing of B’s 
nervous trouble, makes the formal inquiry on the street, “How do you 
do?” B, without going into details which would be quite beyond the 
inquirer’s interest, answers with thanks that he is well. (2) B next 
meets an acquaintance who knows of the original break-down but 
has not seen B for a year. To his inquiry, B, with due regard to the 
fact that the acquaintance wishes to know the course of the disease 
during the previous twelve months, answers correctly that he is much 
better. (3) The next inquirer is a friend whose last inquiry was made 
only some weeks previously, and B answers according to the intervening 
temporary development, that he is somewhat worse. (4) The fourth 
inquirer is B’s most intimate friend who wishes to know why B has not 
turned up of late for the walks which they take frequently in each other’s 
company; and to him B’s gives as the reason that he is, for the time 
being, very sick. 
CASE 24. 
The Discrepancy.—(1) B states that the choir at a religious service 
sang a certain hymn. (2) C states that a quartette sang the hymn. 
Harmonization.—That the choir was composed of only four persons 
who accordingly formed also the quartette. 
The Circumstances.—The choir consisted of eight persons, of whom 
seven were present at the service. (1) B was a member of the congrega- 
tion, without sufficient interest in the case of the hymn in question to 
distinguish between a performing and a non-performing part of the 
choir, and his statement was made to a person with a similar degree 
of interest. (2) C was one of the three members of the choir who were 
present at the service but were not of the performing quartette; and 
his statement was made to the absent member of the choir. 
CASE 25. 
The Discrepancy.—(1) B states to M that she takes nothing warm 
for supper. (2) Immediately thereafter C enters the room and states 
to B that the fire for her supper is still burning, but will not last much 
longer. 
Harmonization.—That B takes a warm drink but no warm food for 
supper. 
