Benign Stupors: A Study of a New Manic-Depressive Reaction TypeHoch, August
Science
Benign Stupors: A Study of a New Manic-Depressive Reaction Type
Hoch, August
Manic-depressive illness; Stupor
_November 20:_ More quiet recently, says little, but tries
to get out when brought to the examining room, but when not
prevented walks slowly about as before, says she wants to
go home. Looks peculiarly blank.
_November 23:_ Has remained quiet, says she is Dr. M.’s
wife. But when told she is not married, she agrees. Her
attitude towards the doctor is not changed, but when the
nurses talk to him, she has tried to prevent it.
_December 6:_ Has remained quietly in bed, gazing about.
Slow in motion. She has spoken of being Dr. M.’s wife,
again President Wilson’s wife, again “Vincent (brother) is
the ruler of the world.”
At interview says little, seems abstracted, answers briefly
in low tone. (Does anything bother you?) “No.” (Are you
natural?) “Yes.” (Who are you?) “C. H.” (correct). (You
said you were the President’s wife?) “No.” (Are you
married?) “No.” (You talked about the kingdom?) “I own the
kingdom” (affectlessly). (Where is Vincent?) “Here.” (Have
you heard him?) “Yes.” (What did he say?) “Nothing.” (Is
he all right?) “Yes.” (Where is your mother?) “Home.” (Why
don’t you go home?) “I can’t.” (Why not?) “I can’t.” (Why
not?) “The family tree is broken, the Cardinal.” (What
about him?) “Nothing.” (Retrospectively she said later she
thought her brother was a cardinal.)
_December 8:_ When her mother visited her she said “It is
about time you come--I thought you were dead.” Has walked
down the hall “looking” for her dead cousin. When asked if
she wanted to see her brother, said, “Ain’t he dead?”
_December 12:_ Cries out in an affectless tone like a
huckster, “Father MacN., take me to Heaven,” repeating this
over and over.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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