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On the ‘‘Aussage'' Test he gave only 11 bare items on free recital。 On questioning 19 more details were added。 Of the entire number only 3 were incorrect； and these were not serious mistakes。 Of 6 suggestions offered he accepted 3。
The history of this boy and his family has never been forthcoming。 The authorities in his alleged home State have not been able to trace his family； which they could have done had his stories been true。 Their report made it clear that the boy's reiterated family history was a fabricationthe raison d'etre of which is still in doubt。 In spite of his lying the boy was found a desirable home in the country at the work for which he was suited。 After staying for a few weeks he returned to the city and got lodgings for himself。 We next heard of him because he was induced by a ‘‘hold…up'' man to secrete a revolver on his person while the police were in the neighborhood。 Upon looking up his landlady； it was found that while with her he had suffered from epileptic attacks。 These had not been observed during the several months we had previously known him； and he had strongly denied them to us。 In our court work we constantly inquire for evidences of epilepsy； in this case we received nothing but negation。 After he served his sentence this young man was lost sight of。 Even in the institution to which he had been sent he continued his fanciful and often hideous stories； still largely centered about the idea that he had suffered unjustly wherever he had been。
No complete summary of causative factors is possible in this case。 The major cause for his lying as well as other delinquencies； particularly his vagrancy； is； of course； the mental traits peculiar to epilepsy。
CHAPTER VI
CONCLUSIONS
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INDIVIDUAL。 DIAGNOSIS
PHYSICAL FINDINGS
Our 19 mentally normal cases （18 females； 1 male） showed：
Good general condition。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 14 Fair general condition。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。2 Poor general condition。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。1 Poor development。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。2 Poor development； undersized for age。 。 。 。 。 。 。2 Defective vision。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。6 Headaches 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。4 Mild nervous symptoms 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。2 Tonsils and adenoids。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。3 Fainting attacks。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。1 Gynecological ailments。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。6 Abdominal tumor； etc。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。1 Hutchinsonian teeth 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。2 ‘‘Stigmata of degeneracy''。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。3 Premature sex development 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。2
Comparing the above with the findings by previous writers we see little chance to draw safe deductions。 So many of the foreign cases have been insane； they can be more nearly compared with our 7 border…line types where all sorts of physical conditions may be found。 It is notable that a large percentage of our mentally normal cases are in good general condition。 Defective vision in 6 cases may be only a coincidence； but perhaps resulting nervous irritation was sometimes a factor in producing misconduct。 Headaches； which Stemmermann makes so much of； appear as an incident in only a small number of our cases； her emphasis on periodicity also we cannot corroborate； there are hints of it in only one or two instances； but then her cases for the most part are not comparable to ours。 That 6 out of 18 females should have had severe gynecological ailments is not to be wondered at； considering the trend of their lives； but； in turn； there can be little doubt that； as in Cases 16； 18； and 21； the local irritation tended to bring about moral disabilities。
MENTAL FINDINGS
Considering first the question of mental capabilities we can classify our 19 normal cases as follows：
Supernormal in ability。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 2 Precocious； later； still considered bright。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 1 Good ability。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 6 Fair ability； perhaps not quite up to the former classes。 6 Poor ability。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 1 Poor ability； hysterical type 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 1 Poor in general； but with artistic and literary ability 。 1 Dull from physical causes； but later normal 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 1
Over and beyond the above enumeration there were some intensely interesting facts which came out during the intimate study of these cases。 We are at once forced to agree with previous writers that an unusual number of the pathological liar group show great aptitude for language。 This is shown by their general conversational ability and by the fact that many of them have found out themselves that they had capacity； for instance； for writing compositions。 Taking our group of pathological liars in the strict sense； as given in Chapter III； we find that no less than 7 of these 12 have been given to writing compositions and stories。 Three of them had definitely commenced long stories or novels。 It is most unusual among other offenders to find evidence of any such tendencies。 A considerable number of our group were characterized as great talkers； and several as romantic； dramatic； fantastic； etc。； even by ordinary observers。 All this goes to show clearly that the native traits making for verbal fluency are strongly correlated with pathological lying。 When it comes to consideration of such an instance as Case 11 we have the point more strongly brought out。 Here the individual is fairly swung down his life's course as the irregularity of his capacities direct。 His language ability carries him along as nothing else will。 In corroboration of this interesting point the conclusions of other authors should be noted。
The aberrational types which show pathological lying are； several of them； depicted in our Chapter VI。 But little in summary of them needs to be said。 The general mental and moral weakness of the constitutional inferior very naturally leads him to become a pathological liar； he follows； by virtue of his make…up； the path of immediate least resistancelying。 The episodic lying or aimless false accusations of the choreic psychosis needs no commentthe confusional mental state sometimes accompanying that disease readily predisposes toward fantastic treatment of realities。 The relationship of constitutional excitement to pathological lying is less well recognized； but fully explicable when we recollect the rate at which ideas present themselves in the mental content of such individuals； who have little time； as it were； to discriminate the true from the false。 The mental conditions leading to purposeless prevarication which supervene in the real hysterical mental states； or during the course of traumatic psychoneurosis are well known。 The individual is to be surely regarded； at least temporarily； as suffering from a psychosis in many of these instances； and falsification； while it may be difficult to distinguish between delusion and lying； is a well recognized phenomenon。 The very deliberate lying of psychopathic individuals； such as Case 25； who； though