60 CASE HISTORIES 



The usual resultant impotence was present also. During his 

 psychosis he projected his improper desires into voices, felt sin- 

 ful, and punished himself physically. At times he gave in to his 

 perverse cravings. Coincident with the development of his goiter 

 these mental symptoms disappeared. He spoke of his past trans- 

 gressions with embarrassment but felt that they were forgiven. 

 He had adjusted himself well to hospital conditions, having re- 

 duced his sexual activities to masturbation and rationalized 

 that as necessary and so permissible, and was contented. 



His mind seemed perfectly clear and his judgment fair. He 

 lacked self-confidence and initiative but that can hardly cause 

 surprise in a man who had spent thirteen years in an institution. 

 If he could be cured of his hyperthyroidism, he thought he might 

 adjust to life outside and earn his own living as a farm laborer. 



Since the advent of the goiter was coincident with the fading 

 of the psychosis, it could be regarded as a compensation for the 

 latter. In that case a removal of the goiter might be followed by 

 renewed psychotic symptoms. Perhaps not enough was removed 

 to have any such effect, but certainly the patient's mental condi- 

 tion became no worse. 



NOLAN 



History: He was a fat, childish-looking moron of twenty 

 years. His mother was very nervous and had spells during which 

 she " sat down and took things easy." One sister had hysterical 

 spells after which she was confined to bed for a week or so. He 

 was the youngest of the family and his mother's pet. He attended 

 school until fourteen and reached the fifth grade. Then he 

 worked as grocery boy, teamster, and expressman for various 

 employers, staying from two to six months in a place and leaving 

 for higher pay. He claimed he never was fired. 



He enlisted in the navy in June and went to sea on a 

 battleship in August. The other sailors teased him, probably on 

 account of his boob looks and slow mind. They hid his hammock 

 and blankets (he could not tell of this without weeping), and 

 said he ought to make a lot of money with his fat rear, but he 

 " sassed them back." 



