236 A STUDY OF HEREDITY IN INSANITY [Oct. 



such an opportunity, and thus a new aid for the study of neuro- 

 pathic equivalents becomes available. 



In our own material the pedigree charts from V to XXIX 

 present instances of matings of the fourth type from each of which 

 two or more neuropathic offspring have resulted. Comparisons 

 of the brothers and sisters in these famihes reveal points of 

 rather peculiar interest. 



In some instances the manifestations clinically observed were 

 either similar or identical; such instances are to be found in 

 Charts VII, IX, XV, XVI, XVII, XX, XXIII, and XXV. 



In other instances we find well defined psychoses alongside of 

 cases presenting oddities of conduct or of disposition which are 

 familiar to physicians as types of make-up constituting the char- 

 acteristic soil upon which the psychoses develop." Thus in Chart 

 XV we find a case of dementia prascox, in a brother " nervous 

 hysteria when his sister died, had hallucinations of sight and 

 hearing, was disturbed and had to be restrained," and in a sister 

 "nervous temperament, easily excited, has weak spells." In 

 Chart XXI we find in one case " nervous breakdown early in life, 

 was unable to work, recovered," in a sister " awful temper." 

 In Chart XXVI we find in one case the following note : " insane 

 twice, very disturbed, recovered each time," and in a sister " odd, 

 nervous temperament, easily excited." In Chart XXVIII we 

 find a subject who was " insane a few months before death," in 

 one sister " melancholy disposition, had nervous prostration," 

 and in another sister " nervous temperament, melancholy." 



Perhaps the most striking finding is that of fainting spells or 

 convulsions in childhood alongside of dementia prsecox; this 

 occurs in Charts V, VI, VIII, XI, and XII. In this connection 

 may be recalled the rather frequent occurrence of seizures of 

 various sorts in dementia prsecox — fainting spells, epileptiform 

 convulsions, muscle spasms, etc. : according to Kraepelin in 18 

 per cent of all cases." 



Finally we would point out the occurrence, as neuropathic 



"Aug. Hoch, Constitutional Factors in the Dementia Prcecox Group, 

 Rev. of Neurol, and Psychiatry, Aug., 1910. — Ed. Reiss, Konstitutionelle 

 Verstimmung und manisch-depressives Irresein, Zeitschr. f. d. gesamte 

 Neurol, u. Psychiatrie, Vol. II, p. 600, 1910. 



" Kraepelin, Psychiatrie, 7th ed.. Vol. II, p. 188. 



