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nd she wondered much about them。 No practices； however； were indulged in and even the thoughts were fought against until the time mentioned above when other sex ideas were implanted。 Janet's mother had neither given nor received confidences on this subject； and indeed never throughout the daughter's life has there been anything except vague warnings on the part of the mother about the general dangers of sex immorality。
We gradually came to learn that Janet had been subject to much sex temptation from her own physical feelings。 She never was a good sleeper； she thinks； and she often lies awake； or will wake up for a time in the middle of the night and think of sex affairs。 She feels sure there has been considerable stress upon her on account of this temptation which she has felt should be combated。 The occasional giving way to sex habits also resulted in mental stress and； as she expresses it； worry。
At the time of her failure to do well in school work her internal conflicts were especially acute。 There was before her continually the success which the other members of her family had made； which she herself admired； and for which she was ambitious。 She hid at that time the cause of her nervousness and failure； there was the danger of its being discovered。 After thus reviewing her case with us； Janet reiterated that she was sure her tendency to prevaricate came on at the time when she first began her bad sex habits。
This girl was probably not much of a day…dreamer。 She denies being so； saying she had always been too busy for such to be the case。 We also obtained corroboration of this from others who had closely observed her。 She says she had lived no specially imaginative life beyond occasionally thinking of herself as a well…to…do lady with many good clothes to wear； or sometimes lying in bed and imagining she had a lover there。 Further inquiry into her imaginative life seemed futile because she was not trained in introspection and because even in her frankest moments we were always afraid that she might fall into her strongly formed habit of prevarication。 We ascertained that in her home life special efforts had been made to keep her busy and she could not be regarded as a dreamer。 Janet strongly denied the periodicity in her lying which her mother maintained； but the girl did state that her periods of sex temptation were mostly just preceding her menstrual period。
In giving the above account of what was ascertained by analysis with Janet we have offered such of her statements as are clearly probable or which are corroborated by the parents。 Our many experiences with the young woman led us to be particularly careful in accepting as veracious any of her statements unless； as in what is given above； they clearly followed the type of fact which may be ascertained in the investigation of other instances of pathological lying where the individual's word is more reliable。 The parents were able to corroborate many points。 The mother remembers the older girl in the town where they lived when Janet was 7 years old and that this girl was notorious for her sex tendencies； although she was not in the least aware that Janet had been contaminated。 Then she recollects that Janet used to tell her so particularly about going with a special crowd of girls （those which she now says were not her companions）。 Both parents considered the matter at great length in order to help my study of the case and both are very certain that it was just about this period when Janet says she was beginning her covert sex experiences that she began the lying； which was petty at first； but after a time expanded into the type of detailed falsifications we have enumerated above。 Altogether there was little doubt in our minds that Janet was giving the truth in its main outlines。 Undoubtedly it was merely her habit which always led her to alter somewhat the details。
We were interested to note that in her letters and in her ordinary conversation Janet took up the topics that a fairly well educated girl would naturally discuss。 For instance； she would give us some account of her recent reading； or a visit to an art gallery； telling us with normal vivacity about a couple of pictures which had deeply impressed her。 She spoke not only of their subjective influence； but discussed the details of composition and coloring。 We might mention that in a characteristic way she interjected some remarks that she herself used to be very good at drawing and won several prizes at it。 She stated that she thought of going farther in art； but that her parents could hardly afford to allow her to do this。 These remarks were found later to be quite aside from the truth。
Telling us the story of her school career； Janet insists her memory had never been good for learning poems or for languages； particularly Latin； but anything in the way of a picture she could recall with ease。 What she has read she often thinks of in the form of pictures。 Concerning her lying she denied it was done particularly to cover up things； at least since the time when the habit was first formed。 She feels that it really is a habit； a very bad one。 She hardly knows she is going to prevaricate； the false statement comes out suddenly。 In thinking about it all she harks back once more to that crowd of girls； everybody thought they were good； but she knew they were not。
After a time of quieting down in her behavior tendencies； although there was never complete cessation of the inclination to falsify； a new exacerbation of lying arose。 This time it seemed to center about a clandestine love affair of a mild type。 There was one trouble with this case which neither I nor any one else was able to clear for the parents。 It was perfectly apparent that the girl might naturally be expected to marry at some time。 Now； when an honest young man felt inspired to keep company with this vivacious； healthy； and generally attractive young woman； what were the parents to do？ It was easy enough for them to decide that she must not go with a man of bad character； but were they bound in honor to inform any young man； before affairs had gone too far； that the girl had this unfortunate tendency and that she had had rather a shady career？ It was perfectly clear to them that she herself would not tell him。 This was how the matter stood at the time we last heard of the case； and while the parents were holding back； a young man's affections and the girl's fabrications were growing apace。
Janet had been suffering from a chronic inflammation of the bladder； which； however； did not cause any acute symptoms。 A chronic pelvic inflammation was discovered； for which she was operated upon in her home town。 The surgeon reported to the parents that conditions were such that they would naturally be highly irritative； although there had been no previous complaint about them。 The girl made an exceedingly rapid recovery。 It was after this that her last affair of the affections was causing the parental quandary and distress。
Our final diagnosis of this ease； after careful study of it； was that it was a typical case of pathological lying； mythomania； or pseudologia phantastica。 The girl could not be called a defective in any ordinary sense。 Her capabilities were above the average。 She showed good moral instincts in many directions and was at times altogether penitent。 Nor could she be said to have a psychosis。 The trouble was confined to one form of conduct。
The lying； as in all these cases； seemed undertaken sometimes for the advantages which thereby might accrue。 On the other hand； at times the falsification seemed to have no relation to personal advantages。 Indeed； this girl had experience； many times repeated； that her lying very quickly resulted in suffering to her。 There were aspects of her falsifications which made it seem as if there was pleasure in the mere manufacture of the stories themselves and in the living； even for a short time； in the situations which she had created out of her imagination and communicated to others。 Frequently there seemed to be an unwillingness on her part to face the true facts of existence。 In her representation of things as different from what they really were she seemed to show even the desire for self…deception。 Another point： no student of cases of this kind should allow himself to forget the potency of habit formation。 There can be little doubt but that a large share of this girl's conduct was the result of her well developed and long maintained tendency to trim the facts。
As far as we were able to determine； and we undoubtedly got at the essential facts； this girl's falsifying trait was based on the following： The fact that she came of neuropathic stock would make us think that she possibly inherited an unstable mental make…up。 To be sure； the only evidence of it was in this anomalous characteristic of hers； namely； her pathological lying。 She seemed sound in her nervous makeup。 The idea that the grandmother passed on as inheritance her prevaricating traits is open to discussion； but we have seen that environmental influences from this source may have been the only effect； if there was any at all。 Very important in this case； without any doubt； is