66 CASE HISTORIES 



frequent gleeful chuckling whether their actions seemed amusing 

 or not. He never would tell what he found so funny in all about 

 him. "It's better to laugh than to cry. It doesn't do to tell 

 everything you know, does it ? " 



Of the fantasies reported in his record he denied any recol- 

 lection whatever. " I never told them nothing of that. I never 

 thought it." He said his mother had had pellagra before he 

 entered the army but recovered and was now living. He had 

 never believed she was dead. He denied hallucinations and delu- 

 sions, but said he had been nervous in France and had shaking spells 

 that lasted for an hour during which he felt cold. He denied he 

 was afraid of anything. Now his nervousness had disappeared 

 and he felt as well as he ever did. His amnesia for the psychosis 

 seemed sincere. His memory for recent events was excellent. 

 If I chanced to ask him a question I had asked even three months 

 before, he would retort, "I told you that once." ("Do you 

 remember everything you tell me?") "Certainly." 



General observations: At first he stood all day by a window 

 reading. Any book would do. I couldn't ascertain whether he 

 comprehended what he read or not, for in answer to any questions 

 he would push the book towards me, saying, "There it is, can't 

 you read?" This resistive attitude he displayed towards every- 

 body, and seemed perfectly satisfied if left alone. He never 

 gave any trouble. 



I tried the Stanford Revision intelligence test on him in 

 January and found his mental age to be just eight years, intelli- 

 gence quotient 50 per cent., the borderline between a moron and 

 an imbecile. His negativism I considered to be partly a defense 

 reaction against revealing his low intelligence, for he seemed to 

 have no unfriendly feelings towards other people. For a month 

 he would do nothing but read, but on offering extra food the 

 nurses got him to help in the pantry and he continued to do 

 steady, efficient work there. About two weeks after beginning 

 dishwashing the occupational therapist induced him to try wood 

 carving, and he soon did very well. During a physical examina- 

 tion he was very nervous, giggling hysterically, and responding 

 exaggeratedly in all reflexes, but insisted he was not afraid. 



