IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 
385 
should be omitted from the possible causes. The apparently chronic 
nature of the case together with the obvious identity of our results with 
the autographisms in other recorded cases, lead to the diagnosis as 
Urticaria Factitia, and bring into strong relief those causes referred to 
as “ nervous irritability, emotion and hysteria.” 
(4) Miss M. is twenty-one years of age, active in college interests 
outside the class-room, including social, literary and athletic engagements. 
She appears to be in normal good health and spirits, and in her general 
bearing is energetic and animated. No physical characteristics indicate 
any functional disorder. But not the least positive factor in determining 
the cause and, hence, the classification of the affection under considera- 
tion, is an acquaintance with the conspicuous traits of Miss M. ’s tem- 
perament. Concrete data, furnished by Miss M..’s instructors and based 
upon observation dating back over several months’ acquaintance, indi- 
cate the leading features of Miss M.’s nervous organization. Without 
exception and independently her instructors have noted her nervous in- 
stability. One profesor speaks of her erratic conduct in the preparation 
and recitation of lessons. Another comments upon her inability to con- 
centrate upon matters in hand. Another has observed the frequency of 
distractions and irrelevancies when working with other students thor- 
oughly absorbed in laboratory occupations. One speaks of her as being 
a disturbing member of his classes, etc. The writer was informed by a 
colleague that in the midst of a laboratory exercise in his department 
Miss M. suddenly burst out laughing, then in embarrassment stated that 
she could not assign any reason for her unusual behavior. 
Indecision and resolute conviction seem to alternate in matters of 
slight consequence. A lack of motor control is as evident as her inability 
to control attention. Restlessness and supersensitiveness to surrounding 
impressions point toward a lack of nervous organization. Her intro- 
spective efforts are labored because of the shifting of attention. 
All these data plainly show that Miss M. is of the neurotic type familiar 
to the medical profession. In some cases of meningitis the skin is so 
sensitive that a red mark will result from drawing the thumb nail across 
its surface. A hypersensitive condition of the skin whether it shows as 
a graphism or results merely in an unusual sensori-motor reaction, leads 
the physician to look for a type of nervous instability such as we have 
observed in Miss M. 
