xii Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



never observed in another child. Chickens were caught, tortured 

 and dismembered and other children as well as domestic animals were 

 never safe within its reach. 



Homicide and suicide are not as infrequent among children as 

 most people suppose. 6. i per cent, of the suicides in England are 

 of children under ten years. Many cases can be referred to over 

 pressure in the schools. 



The morals which may be drawn from the facts noticed above 

 are: i, that teachers should receive such instruction in practical neu- 

 rology as shall enable them to recognize and properly deal with the 

 frequent cases of hereditary neuropathy under their care ; 2, school 

 boards should sufficiently take the responsibility devolving on the 

 teacher as to be willing to pay salaries which shall make such thorough 

 and practical training possible; 3, the teacher should feel it a part of 

 her duty to become acquainted with the home status and indications 

 of heredity in order to more clearly understand the morbid conditions 

 presented; 4, the teaching force should be large enough to admit of 

 such supervision and the course should be flexible enough to provide 

 for incipient perverts and children with retarded development; 5, 

 there should be some provision for a periodic psychometric examina- 

 tion in all large schools and a competent medical expert should oc- 

 casionally "visit" each room. C. L. Herrick. 



Myx oedema. 1 



The interest in the remarkable mental derangements accompany- 

 ing myxoedema does not abate. Dr. Clouston reports upon nine cases. 

 Few varieties of mental disease afford so simple causation. In the 

 body at large, while little irritation or inflamation can be detected, the 

 various tissue cells seem to be separated by a deposit of mucin. De- 

 pression of the vascular function and heat formation is characteristic. 

 In the nervous system the greater complexity of structure and func- 

 tion forbid us from expecting a similar uniformity in the symptoms. 

 All myxcedematous patients have lowered vaso-motor tone, lowered 

 temperature, slowness in speech, walking, etc. and the reaction time 

 is prolonged in all cases. With sensory disturbances greater variety 

 is apparent with much allowance for personal equation. In some cases 

 marked anaesthesia and analgesia. Memory suffers in most cases. Mem- 

 ory of recent events, as well as of certain selected events, suffers and 



'Clouston, T. S. The Mental Symptoms of Myxcedema and the Effect on 

 them of the Thyroid Treatment. Journ. Mental Science, XL, 168. 



