THE GROWTH OF GROUPS 165 



at length. Stolidity of conduct, preference for confine- 

 ment, disordered action are mentioned by all writers on 

 the subject. Some perceive that the victims of the 

 disorder purposely falsify their thoughts. This reminds 

 us that two normal persons occupying diverse points of 

 view may have much the same feeling towards one another 

 as a result of argument, each feeling that the other is not 

 candid. 



A well-known alienist relates the following anecdote 

 in reference to what is called " disordered action." A 

 young girl, a victim of this disorder, had the habit of 

 occasionally shrugging one shoulder. When asked why 

 she performed this action, she replied, after a pause, that 

 " underground electricity " caused in her the movement. 

 To explain phenomena by an empty phrase is not in 

 itself a sign of a disordered mind. A moment later it 

 happened that her interrogator, who was seated, crossed 

 one leg over the other in the usual manner. At once the 

 girl asked, " Why did you do that ? " Getting no reply 

 she observed that that movement also must have been 

 caused by " underground electricity." To cross the legs 

 is normal action, since many persons do it ; to shrug one 

 shoulder or to assume a fixed grimace is abnormal action. 

 We cannot explain abnormal action but neither can we 

 explain normal action. 



Dementia prcecox is neither fatal in itself nor curable, 

 were it either we could not of course regard it as the 

 expression of a character or group of characters, or compare 

 its victims to mutants. 



Another similarity between the origin of these cases 

 and the origin of mutants is seen in the fact that more 

 than one offspring, growing up to be afflicted, are 



