Page:Psychopathia Sexualis (tr. Chaddock, 1892).djvu/417

 ing him a bird's nest, he was taken with a desire to abuse him. Since the boy refused to take off his trousers, he did it for him; and when the boy began to cry out, he stabbed him twice in the neck. Then he made an incision, just above the pubes, in imitation of female genitals, in order to use it to satisfy his lust. But, since the body grew cold immediately, he lost his desire, and, cleaning his knife and hands near the body, he fled. When he saw the boy dead, he was filled with fear, and his limbs became weak.

During his examination E. looked apathetically at a garland. He had acted in a state of mental weakness. He could not understand how he came to do such a thing. He must have been beside himself; for he often became senseless, so that he would almost fall down. Previous employers report that he had periods when he was devoid of thought and confused, doing no work all day, and avoiding others. His father states that E. learned with difficulty, was unskillful at work, and often so obstinate that one did not think to punish him. At such times he would not eat, and occasionally ran away and remained all day. At such times he also seemed quite lost in thought, screwed his face up, and said senseless things. When quite a boy, he still sometimes wet the bed, and often came home from school with wet or soiled clothing. He was very restless in sleep, so that no one could sleep beside him. He had never had playmates. He had never been cruel, bad, or immoral.

His mother gave similar testimony; and further, that, in his fifth year, E. first had convulsions, and once lost the power of speech for seven days. Sometime about his seventh year he once had convulsions for forty days, and was also dropsical. Later, too, he was often seized in sleep, and he often then talked in his sleep; and mornings, after such nights, the bed was found wet.

At times it was impossible to do anything with him. Since his mother did not know whether it was due to viciousness or disease, she did not venture to punish him.

Since his convulsions, in his seventh year, he had failed so in mind that he could not learn even the common prayers; and he also became very irascible.

Neighbors, persons prominent in the community, and teachers state that E. was peculiar, weak-minded, and irascible; that at times he was very strange, and apparently in an exceptional mental state.

The examinations of the medical experts gave the following results:—

E. is tall, slim, and poorly nourished. His head measures 53 centimetres in circumference. The cranium is rhombic, and in the occipital region flattened.

His expression is devoid of intelligence; his glance is fixed, expressionless; his attitude is careless, and his body is bent forward.