pathology of lying-第16章
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‘‘The B。's are ashamed of me I suppose。 I ran away from them。 They are refined people。 But I can't be treated in that way。 They adopted me。 They said that I got some money dishonestly； but； doctor； it is not in me to be bad。 I feel that through and through。
‘‘Well； I know that I'm a Yankee by birth； on both sides。 My people came from Mayflower stock。 I will make my way in the world； I will succeed； and you'll see； doctor。 I will have an education。 As to going back to the Johnsons； I would commit suicide rather than do that。 It was not true that I had a good education as I told you。 They did not treat me well。 They can write as they please and talk about forgiveness for what I have done； but it is they who were cruel and abusive。 Suppose they do say I'm their child。 I know I am not because I was not treated the same as the others。 I was 12 or 13 when I ran away from them。 How could I belong to the family？ They are all so much older than I am。''
Inez now gave us； most curiously； some addresses which opened up knowledge of her career over several years。 But what she told us about these new people was directly denied by return mail。 At one interview her first words were； ‘‘Do you know now； doctor； that I was in a State hospital？'' Having made this challenging statement she went no further； merely involved herself in contradictions as to the place； and would say nothing more than that she had once suffered from an attack of nervous prostration。 She absolutely denied items of information about herself which we had gradually accumulated； and this type of reaction obtained all the way through our last period of acquaintance with Inez； even after we had the detailed facts about her early life from her parents。
Inez never lost an opportunity to impress upon people whom she did not regard as her equals that she considered herself much of a lady and quite above housework。 On one occasion； when held as a runaway girl； she had a terrible outbreak of temper simply because she was asked to clear the dinner table。 This was no momentary affair。 Her recalcitrancy was kept up the larger part of one day； and she made the place almost unbearable that night by screaming and moaning。 Telling me about the incident； she said it was because she would not allow herself to cater to such people。 ‘‘If a person asks me； I may do things； but nobody can tell me to。 I would not give in。 I would not do it。''
To some of us it has seemed highly significant that at moments which would ordinarily be expected to bring out great emotion Inez showed almost none。 For instance； when going to an important interview about the disposition of her case； she first plaintively said she did not know what to say； and then immediately began to dwell with evident pleasure upon the costume of the person addressing her。 Many normal emotions were seen expressed； however； and many moral sentiments were undoubtedly held； but there seemed to be curious displacements upon these levels of her mental life； there was faulty mental stratification。 Probably the force which caused this is egocentrism。
In relating what we now know of the past history of this case we shall put together that which we have heard from many different sources。 There is no question about all the important factscorrespondents largely corroborate each other。
Inez came from a family of French extraction； apparently stable and normal tradespeople。 The old mother at 74 years wrote us an unusually well…thought…out； detailed account of her daughter's early life。 The paternal grandfather was insane and an aunt had epilepsy。 Defective heredity in other respects is denied。 We get no history of convulsions in the immediate family； nor of any other neurotic manifestation； except that one sister is ‘‘very excitable。''
Inez came when the mother was unusually advanced in life； and the brothers and sisters； of whom there were five； had long since been born。 There was a difference of 10 years between Inez and the next older。 In telling the facts； the mother dwells much on this and the bearing which her chagrin during pregnancy may have had upon the girl's physical and mental development。 She was born； then； after a troubled pregnancy； a weak and sickly child； ‘‘almost like a skeleton。''
Inez was rather slow at walking； but at one year spoke her first words。 We do not know with accuracy about the earliest factors in the mental environment。 （Inez has told various stories about early family friction； and even about contracting an infection at home； much of which seems highly conjectural。） Between the ages of 7 and 10 several sicknesses； diphtheria； measles with some cardiac complication； etc。； kept her much out of school。 Part of the time she lived in New Orleans； and part of the time in a country district。 She only went to school until she was 14； and was somewhat retarded on account of changing about and illnesses。 However； it is said she always liked her school and showed fair aptitude for study。 At 14 she returned to New Orleans and； desiring to be a dressmaker； started in that trade。 She worked in several places； but finally went back to her home。
At the age of 18 Inez met with what； according to her family； was a decisive event in her life。 She was in a trolley car accident； after being knocked down she was unconscious for some time。 No definite injury was recorded。 Her family marked an entire change of character from that time。 They say she then began lying in the minutest detail about people and seemed to believe in her own falsifications。 Besides this she started the roving tendency which she has shown ever since。
The extensive information which we have received concerning the later history of this remarkable case we can only take space to give in summary。 We know definitely that Inez has received attention； during periods varying from a few days to six months； in no less than 18 different hospitals。 Besides this she has been under the care of physicians at least a score of times。 Her swindling in this matter was so flagrant in one eastern city to which she had journeyed that she was handled through the police court and was sentenced to a state hospital for the insane for a term of 6 months。 The charge was that she was an idle person and a beggar； and she was regarded as perhaps being unbalanced。 The report from this town is that she would be taken with ‘‘spells of apparent violent illness on the street； in the trolley cars； at railroad stations； and so be carried to various hospitals and doctors' homes。'' She has visited numerous cities； getting her sustenance largely through hospitals and physicians。
After being admitted into one famous hospital and showing some of her curious manifestations she was transferred to a state institution in the vicinity to be studied for insanity。 Correspondence with one physician tells the story of how five years ago he was called from a medical meeting to attend this ‘‘girl'' who had been taken from a trolley car into his home。 She was apparently suffering great pain in the region of the old appendicitis scar and she was conveyed in an ambulance to a hospital。 After investigation for a few days； it was decided she was hysterical or a simulator。
On numerous occasions her feigned illness has been so apparently overcoming that she has had to be transferred in an ambulance to a hospital。 One of her usual performances has been to get into some home or institution and then keep others awake all night with her signs of distress。 It is interesting that she has used the same methods over and over again； but has been adroit enough to vary the illnesses which she has simulated。 At one time investigation in a hospital seemed to show that she was neurasthenic。 She has been given chances in homes for convalescents； but has never maintained herself in such a place for long。 We note she was sent back from one of these to the main hospital on account of having vomited the medicine she had been given。 In fact； she has repeatedly been found resisting the treatment which had been prescribed。
The record of admission and treatment given in one hospital is of peculiar interest。 She was received there four years ag
