CASE HISTORIES 19 



next day. Then he asked a policeman to help him get to Chicago, 

 but instead the policeman helped him back to St. Elizabeths. His 

 parole was again taken up and he was transferred to a less 

 desirable ward. While out walking with his new wardmates he 

 made a dash to get away but was captured by an attendant. 



Once I succeeded in getting him to tell of his experiences in 

 France, which he remembered and related well, but when I began 

 talking about psychology and mental conflicts he got resistive and 

 distrait and demanded to go. 



He resisted the sugar tolerance test because it smacked of 

 medical treatment, and he was maintaining that he was perfectly 

 well and was being unjustly deprived of his liberty. The venal 

 puncture so unnerved him that he nearly fainted. He resented the 

 removal of blood from his body because that weakened it. He 

 disapproved of all killing and would eat nothing that had been 

 killed. This was a result of his horror of war. As a consequence 

 his diet was much restricted and he complained of not getting 

 enough to eat. He nearly cut out milk also, but fortunately it 

 was possible to convince him that it was kinder to milk a cow 

 than to leave her unmilked. 



Although he was friendly towards me and said he felt better 

 after talking things over with me, he would not face his conflicts 

 and discuss them. 



During the examination after his arrival at the hospital it was 

 noticed that when painful subjects were touched on he moved 

 his lips and ran his tongue around behind them. In my office 

 his hands were held pressed over his genitals much of the time. 



Occupational therapy: It was difficult to hold his interest. 

 He got discouraged at the least obstacle and quit, saying he didn't 

 feel well or didn't like to work. He never finished anything. 



Physical examination: Small type of skeleton. Skin poorly 

 nourished with several scaly lesions on face, neck and back. 

 Slight amount of hair in mid-sternal region, and submasculine 

 type in genital region. Genitalia normal. Heart rapid. Ex- 

 tremities cold and cyanotic. Reflexes sluggish. Slight tremor of 

 hands. 



Endocrine diagnosis: Submyxedema. 



