INFANTILISM 870 



eighteen. The necropsy revealed in the internal structure a curious mix- 

 ture of youth and old age. There were extensive atheroma of the heart 

 valves and coronary arteries; an enlarged fibrous thymus gland; fibrous, 

 senile kidneys and shriveled suprarenal capsules. The stomach and 

 intestines were so atrophic as to be almost transparent, resembling wet 

 paper. The ossification was a little premature. Gilford concluded that 

 progeria is a premature senile decay affecting the body as a whole, arising 

 in an individual in a state of infantilism and manifesting itself as is 

 usual with senility in some organs more than in others. 



Psychic Infantilism. The psychic sphere participates in various de- 

 grees also in the developmental retardation or arrest in the different forms 

 of universal infantilism. Although a juvenile aspect in the adult may 

 be associated with psychic and intellectual maturity, perhaps most often 

 it is mingled with psychopathic features. On the other hand, psychic 

 infantilism occurs not infrequently isolated in individuals somatically well 

 developed. This is a partial infantilism, representing a disturbance lim- 

 ited to the psychic organ. De Sanctis in his fundamental publication 

 places the inhibition of intelligence and character development side by 

 side as equally important with the main symptoms of somatic infantilism, 

 namely, the arrested growth of the body and the infantile type of the 

 genitals. Since infantilism is an arrest of growth in the stage of child- 

 hood, it is evident that the subjects may at first demonstrate no signs of 

 deficient psychic evolution, but that later, especially at puberty or there- 

 after, the inadequacy of the psychic progress, the disparity between real 

 age and the psychic age will become manifest more and more. Anton 

 instances two women in whom too early gravidity was responsible for the 

 psychic arrest at the juvenile stage. Frustrated forms are not uncommon, 

 and grade off to the normal. 



Psycho-infantilistic features may appear as a partial manifestation in 

 certain neuroses, as in hysteria. Janet, in concluding his able expose, 

 spoke the words that have been much quoted since: "Who has not re- 

 peatedly exclaimed at the examination of a hysteric, 'again a. child.' ' 

 Certain psychic stigmata of immaturity are met with not infrequently 

 also in adult ticqueurs. For the awkwardness and lack of voluntary con- 

 trol of movements Meige coined the term infantilisme moteur. Psycho- 

 infantilistic features are seen also in the disequilibrated and in the sub- 

 jects of "nervousness of the only child" (Peritz), characterized by lack of 

 self-control, unstability, capriciousness, unbridled affects, egoism and 

 effeminacy, as the result of faulty family influences. The principal fea- 

 tures of psycho-infantilism are lack of self-reliance, a great need of counsel 

 and advice by others, an attention easily attracted but very fugitive, a 

 childish carelessness, cheerful, very changeable, fickle mood that to a great 

 extent mimics the disposition of others; the timidity and egoism of the 

 child. There is also a lack of the faculty to differentiate the essential 



