x Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



of circumstances and encouragement, taken together with nutritive 

 diet, stimulated the tardy powers and she was able to hold her own 

 with ease. 



A suggestion quoted from Turnbull deserves to be given consid- 

 eration by those responsible for the deplorably vacuous material on 

 which our children are expected to feed in the public schools. 



" They should be induced to read what would be a benefit and a 

 delightful resource in after life — the tales of Grecian mythology, the 

 poems of Homer and other classics, popularized science, tales of ad- 

 venture," etc. The present writer believes that he is more indebted 

 to the fact that early seclusion left him to make what he could out of 

 " grown up books" at the age when modern children are kept upon 

 stuff written down for their capacity by mediocre would-be authors, 

 than to all the primary schooling afforded him. 



But, to return to the paper before us, let us quote the following 

 from Dr. Mary Putnam -Jacobi : 



"In neuropathic families the children early manifest a remarka- 

 able nervous excitability, with tendency to severe neurotic disorders 

 at physiological crises, as convulsions during dentition, neuralgias at 

 menstruation. The establishment of menstruation is often premature, 

 often preceded and followed by profound chloro-anaemia. The cere- 

 bral functions are easily disturbed, slight physical disorders being at- 

 tended by somnolence, delirium, hallucinations. The nervous sys- 

 tem seems to be everywhere hyperaesthetic. Reaction to either pleas- 

 ing or displeasing impressions is excessive ; there are abundant reflex 

 neuralgias, vaso-motor irritations. Pallor, blushing, palpitations, prae- 

 chordial anxiety, are caused by trifling moral excitement or by agents 

 lowering the tone of the vaso-motor nerves, as heat or alcohol. The 

 sexual instincts are precocious and often perverted. The establish- 

 ment of puberty is often the sign for the development of spinal irrita- 

 tion, hysteria or epilepsy. The psychic characteristics correspond. 

 The disposition is strikingly irritable, psychic pain arises for trifling 

 cause ; on the least occasion the most vivid emotions are excited. 

 The subjects of this temperament alternate rapidly from one extreme 

 to the other. . . . On the other hand there is a remarkable inex- 

 citability of the ethical feeling. Vanity, egotism, and a jealous sus- 

 piciousness are common ; and the temper is often violent. The mind 

 is often obviously feeble, with few and monotonous ideas, and slug- 

 gish association of them. At other times ideas are readily excited ; 

 the imagination is active even to the production of hallucinations; but 

 mental activity is ineffective, because of the rapidity with which it 



