68 CASE HISTORIES 



" I felt strange here. Nobody was introduced to me. I didn't 

 know the names of the nurses and attendants. I felt lazy and 

 wanted to be left alone. It's hard to talk to strangers. I don't 

 know what to say. You weren't friendly enough at first, you 

 didn't smile at me. Now I feel better and I want to get to work. 

 I feel better than I did at home before I was drafted, and I 

 weigh twenty pounds more." 



About sex matters he said he had heard of bestiality at home, 

 but he had never seen it done nor done it himself. He had always 

 tried to keep nice and clean. In camp in France he had heard 

 of pederasty but had never been solicited; he would have told 

 them where to get off. It was dirty and probably painful. He 

 had never had any ideas or fears about such things when he 

 was sick, though he realized that other fellows did (this knowl- 

 edge and the phrase " nice and clean " may have been acquired 

 in the endocrine ward). 



His father took him home. 



Occupational therapy: For a long time he refused to try 

 any handicraft, but two weeks after he began dishwashing in the 

 pantry he reluctantly consented to mark holes on a tray bottom. 

 In spite of his " I can't do it " the instructor led him into wood 

 carving which he soon did very well. She thought his resistance 

 was due solely to fear of failure. As soon as he saw he could 

 carve well, he stopped his reading completely and carved steadily 

 until he got parole of the grounds. 



Physical examination: Short, heavy-set, pink-skinned. Ple- 

 thoric-appearing face. Hairless over abdomen and chest, but 

 with male type of genital hair distribution, though somewhat 

 limited. Genitalia somewhat flabby. Body in general excellently 

 nourished. Heart beats regular but very fast. Shows very rapid 

 carbohydrate metabolism. All deep reflexes extremely hyper- 

 active. 



Endocrine diagnosis: Submyxedema with hypoadrenia. 



Glandular therapy: Desiccated suprarenal gland was given 

 for three or four weeks. No sudden change in behavior was 

 noted. His steady improvement continued with no apparent 

 acceleration. 



