CASE HISTORIES 67 



He improved slowly and steadily, and was granted parole of 

 the grounds in April. It was not possible to ascribe his improve- 

 ment to any particular factor. He saw he was in friendly hands 

 and so began to lose his apprehension, he liked the wood carving, 

 and he seemed pleased to be given glandular therapy. That was 

 medicine, the kind of treatment he was familiar with for sick 

 people. None of these factors seemed to alter the steady course 

 of his recovery. 



In May his behavior had become fairly normal, and the silly 

 giggling had almost ceased. The intelligence test now showed a 

 mental age of nine years and three months and an intelligence 

 quotient of 58 per cent., a gain of fifteen months and eight points 

 in five months' time. His father came to town to attend a conven- 

 tion and made him a visit. After he left, the boy came to my 

 office of his own accord, the first time he had sought anyone's 

 company since he entered the hospital. He had received a great 

 shock and wanted sympathy. His eyes were wet with tears, and 

 he showed the emotion natural under the circumstances with 

 none of the old aloofness. He had asked after his mother and 

 was told that she was dead. She had died while he was in 

 France in the army, and his father said they had written him 

 the news at the time. The discovery was a severe blow, for he 

 had felt sure she was alive and that the records were wrong in 

 stating she was dead. 



" I was a great mother boy, and home won't be the same now 

 without her. It was hard to leave her and home, and go to war. 

 I unloaded cars in France and sometimes had to work till late at 

 night. I got very tired. The first I noticed of the sickness was 

 that my hands and face got numb like going to sleep, and my feet 

 got cold. These spells lasted from an hour and a half to two 

 hours, and my mind was clear during them. I felt smothered, 

 I couldn't get my breath, I felt as if I would die. I couldn't lie 

 down, I must have air. Every bone in my body ached. Between 

 spells I felt all right. These spells lasted nearly up to the time I 

 reached this hospital. Now I understand about the letter telling 

 of my mother's death. It must have come after I got sick, and 

 the doctors were afraid to give it to me, so they just put it in 

 the records. 



