File:Psychic Epilepsy A.jpg

when 14 years old. Head well-formed, brown hair and eyes, sight 
and hearing perfect, excellent vocabulary, and is active, noisy, and 
at' times obstinate. Powers of attention, imitation, and memory 
fair. Does excellent work in school ; can read and write, but has 
attacks of nervous excitement followed by prolonged periods of 
automatism — sometimes lasting for days — during which, uncon- 
scious of what he is doing, he simply walks as in a dream ; will stand 
in one place until told to sit ; will eat when commanded, but does 
nothing of his own volition. For the time being he is a veritable 
automaton, but when the attack passes he is again bright and active. 
Very deft with fingers, he is quite useful in the carpenter shop, and 
in domestic work. 

Eighth child ; nourished by mother. Father, a drunkard — by 
trade a harness-maker — aged 44 and mother 38, at time of H.'s birth.