62 CASE HISTORIES 



and found his anus tight. He heard the doctors tell his mother 

 he was in no condition to go home, and he interpreted that 'as 

 meaning he had been raped in pederasty. He began to fear he 

 might become pregnant and have a baby in his rectum. His 

 relief was great when I assured that it was impossible for a male 

 to become pregnant and that no one could assault him without 

 waking him up. 



The reason he attacked O'Neil was because in his sleep it 

 had felt as if his thighs and abdomen were being licked and then 

 his penis sucked. When he woke he suspected O'Neil had been 

 doing it, but had already discovered the latter was fast asleep 

 before the nurse interfered. He was not convinced by my ex- 

 planation that it was only a dream. It seemed too real for that. 

 A fellow sailor had told him about this fancy method of fellatio 

 and he had thought it must be very pleasant, but he roused him- 

 self from sleep because he didn't want an orgasm, for that would 

 sap his strength. 



Now he had delusions of reference. If other patients moved 

 their lips and tongues, his penis felt as if it were being sucked. 

 He complained that they looked at him and made him uncom- 

 fortable, that they ought not to grin at him, and that they seemed 

 to tie making signals to him. Finally he struck Dixon in the 

 head, and only the timely arrival of the attendant prevented a 

 fight. My attempts to explain projection to him made no im- 

 pression and I had to merely order him to pay no attention to 

 the others and, when they annoyed him, to go some other place. 

 He was very indignant and looked like a thundercloud for a week, 

 then became very happy. ("You were cross a few days ago.") 

 " You can't be happy all the time. I had a little headache and 

 didn't feel very good. I don't know why I thought other fellows 

 were making signals to me, and thinking dirty thoughts. Now I 

 don't feel that way at all." He told me also that his ears used to 

 itch and then he thought spirits or something were reading his 

 mind. 



In March after hearing Carhart's diatribes about being locked 

 up he " almost heard " voices say he would never get out of here, 

 and he anxiously asked me the truth about it. This was the dying 



