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atisfactory。 The mother not long previously earnestly had warned the girl against pursuing her downward path and had stated she must be sent away again if she did not do better。 Libby then was doing pretty much as she pleased； for the mother； who was all along a frail woman； sick much of the time； had really no control over her daughter。 Another feature of the case that is interesting came out in the fact that Libby herself had neglected the little epileptic girl who died。 When the mother was ill in bed Libby had refused to properly care for the child。 To some extent she also engaged in bad sex practices with the little girl。 Libby never gave us the slightest indication that her false testimony was incited by spite。 Anyhow； she involved the step…father； who she always insisted had been very good to her。 The motive undoubtedly is not so simply explained。 A really deep analysis of the behavior could not be undertaken。
… Mental conflicts： About sex experiences Case 13。 and own Girl； 16 yrs。 misbehavior。 Bad companions： Including father。 Home conditions： Notoriously bad in early life。 Heredity： Father alcoholic； brutal； and perhaps insane。 Delinquencies： Mentality： False accusations。 （Extreme case。） Fair ability。 Stealing。 Sex immorality； etc。 …
CASE 14
Summary： A girl of 13 during the last year or more had been lying excessively and in uncalled…for ways。 She also obtained money by misrepresentations and had made false charges of sex assault against a stranger。 To be thought of as causative factors were defects of environment and possibly heredity； markedly imperfect vision； improperly obtained sex knowledge； and a distinct mental conflict。
We were asked to study this Emma X。 on account of the various social issues involved in her case。 Her family found her beyond control； she had been expelled from school； by her false accusations she had created much trouble for the police in her home town； officials of a public welfare agency found her altogether difficult to understand。 We obtained an account of the case from several sources； including the mother。
The trouble with her had begun about a year previously。 She had been notoriously untruthful； and had forged a relative's name to the extent of obtaining 40in small sums。 Emma remained out late in the evening sometimes； and on three occasions stayed out all night。 The first time this happened she came home scratched and untidy and told a sensational story which led to much newspaper notoriety。 She said a man took her to the woodsthis was in the summertimeand kept her there all night。 A loafer in the town； who was arrested the next day； she positively identified as the one who had assaulted her。 This man was later discharged in the police court； however； because he abundantly proved an alibi； and because by this time the girl's story had become so twisted that even the mother did not believe it。 A physician's examination also tended to prove that no assault had been attempted。
After this Emma was known to sleep one night in a cellar coal…bin。 In stealing and general lying she became worse until with a change of residence to an uncle's home she improved for a time。 It was after a little backsliding that we saw her。
The mother frankly tells us that the girl's mind must be affected； otherwise how could she act as she does。 Emma has complained frequently of headaches and of a little dizziness。 She has lately been lonely for a sister who went away。 For the last two years Emma has not seemed altogether well； she has been nervous。 A time ago she had for a friend a girl who spoke too freely with men； and her mother stopped the companionship。 This other girl has a sister in the Industrial School。 Emma's mother does not know of any definite harm done by the companionship。
During the pregnancy with Emma the mother had a rather hard time for a while on account of the severe illness of another child。 The pregnancy began when the mother was still nursing a baby。 However； when Emma was born she proved to be a healthy and normal child。 Birth was normal。 No convulsions。 First walked and talked at the usual age。 She was a fat child until 8 years； and then； after an attack of pneumonia； she began to ail somewhat。 At 10 years tonsils and adenoids were removed。 The mother had no knowledge of Emma's defective vision。 Emma started to school at 7 years； but at 13 had reached only the 5th grade。
There are 8 living children in the family； one died in infancy。 There has never been much illness among them。 Most of them did well in school。 The family physician says the boys show a ‘‘queer streak；'' but nothing； evidently； at all well defined as compared with the career of Emma； whom he characterizes as a ‘‘moral pervert。'' The mother is a well…meaning； hard…working； moderately intelligent woman of about 45。 She is said to be somewhat slack in her household； but perfectly honest。 The father is desperately alcoholic and peculiar at times。 It is not known that his aberrations are ever shown apart from his drinking。 Years ago he was in a hospital for the insane for several months as an alcoholic patient。 The trouble with this girl is said to have led him to drink again。 Both parents were from immigrant families。 It is positively denied that there are any cases of insanity； feeblemindedness； or epilepsy on either side。 Some other members of the family are known to have better homes。
On the physical side we found a small child for her age； weight 81 lbs。； height 4 ft。 9 in。 Nutrition and color fairly good。 Vision about 20/80 R。 and 20/60 L。； never had glasses。 Crowded teeth。 High Gothic palate。 Regular features。 Expression peculiarly stiff with eyes wide open。 Flushes readily。 With encouragement smiles occasionally。 Other examination negative。 Tonsils； and probably adenoids； removed three years previously； formerly had trouble with breathing through the nose。 Complains much of frequent frontal headaches。 Says she gets dizzy often in the schoolroom。
Our ‘‘psychological impressions；'' dictated by Dr。 Bronner； state that at first we found Emma very quiet and diffident； possibly somewhat shy and timid。 At best she did not talk freely； only in monosyllables as a rule。 She appears rather nervous。 She says she thinks of lots of things she does not speak of。 Emma smiles in friendly enough fashion； and later became more at ease； and more talkative。 She was rather deliberate in work with tests。 With concrete material she did better than with tasks more purely mental。 She succeeds eventually with nearly everything； but is slow。 She seems anxious to do well； but acts as if unable to rouse herself to any great effort。 She is quite inaccurate in arithmetic； and only fair in other school studies。 Emotions normal。 In many ways appears normally childish。 Her interest in fairy tales and in the type of make…believe plays in which she engages with her younger sisters seems mixed with her wonderment in regard to sex life。 There is a distinct tendency to day…dreaming。
In reviewing the results of tests the only peculiarities to be noted are a definite weakness displayed in the powers of mental representation and analysis （she failed on Test X； usually readily done at 12 years）； and a rather undue amount of suggestibility and inaccuracy in response to the ‘‘Aussage'' test （Test VI）。 The latter； naturally…to…be…supposed important test in a case where lying was a characteristic； showed a result that belonged to the imaginative； inaccurate； and partially suggestible type。 Many details of the picture were recalled correctly； but a few were manufactured to order； and 4 out of 7 suggestions were accepted。
About the general diagnosis of mentality there could be no doubt； the girl had fair ability； but there had been poor educational advantages on account of extremely defective vision。 No signs of mental aberration were discovered。
Our attempt to try to help Emma decide why she got into so much difficulty resulted in a most convincing discovery of beginnings。 We found a keynote to the situation in asking her about the companionship which the mother had said she had broken up。 It seems that Emma had for a year； quite clandestinely； been familiar with this family。 She apparently now desired to reveal the results of the acquaintance。 Long ago the older sister； at present in a Reform School； boasted of her escapades with boys。 Emma states that she herself never talked of these topics with her mother； who had said that girls who don't do such things should not talk about them。 But Tessie； the younger sister of the delinquent girl； says many bad words about boys。 These words and ideas about them bother Emma much。 They come up in her mind； ‘‘sometimes at night and sometimes in the day。'' She even dreams much about them and about boys。 ‘‘I seen the girls do bad things with boys。 It is in the dream； it was in the house； in the front room on the floor。'' Emma says she never saw it in reality； but Tessie ha