We
repeat that we agree that the mentally abnormal person may engage
in pathological lying quite apart from any expression of
delusions, and that during the course of such lying the insanity
may not be recognized. This occurred in many of the cases cited
in the foreign literature, and if the prior histories of many
individuals now in insane hospitals were known undoubtedly such
lying would be frequently noted. But once the person is
recognized as insane he need not be classified as a pathological
liar. This term should be reserved, as we stated previously, for
normal individuals who engage in pathological lying. Of course
other observers have noted such lying in people who could not be
designated as being mentally abnormal, but our material is
peculiarly rich in examples of this kind.
CORRELATIONS STUDIED FOR CAUSES
Heredity. We come now to a very interesting group of
facts--showing at once complete corroboration of previous
observers' statements that pathological liars are extraordinarily
``erbliche belastet.'' Taking our 19 mentally normal cases we
find the following:
Insanity in the direct family (four of these being a parent).
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