It is very dangerous to read any medical literature. No matter what I read about I just think I have it. I feel very weak now and not very smart after discovering a tiny red book on my bookshelf. Those who know me also know that it is quite possible for me to discover books on my bookshelves of which existence I had no clue. This little red book however makes me quite nervous because it is a wicked little medical book and it deals with “Mental Hygiene”. The title of this little psycho-bomb is “Psychiatric Word Book” and it is a tiny little thing, the full title is “A Lexicon of terms employed in Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis designed for students of medicine and nursing and psychiatric social workers”. The author is Richard H. Hutchkins. M.D., D. Sc. I have the Seventh Edition, which was published 1943, in Utica N.Y. Wild stuff.
I happened to begin my reading with the APPENDIX B, which describes Mental Make-Up
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If abnormality of of the makeup exists, distinguish in the first place between an intellectual defect (mental deficiency or feeblemindedness) and temperamental abnormally.
An idiot is a mentally-defective person usually having a mental age of less than 3 years, or if a child, an intelligence quotient of less than 20.
An imbecile is a mentally-defective person usually having a mental age of 3 to 7 years inclusive, or, if a child, an intelligence quotient of 20 to 49 inclusive.
A moron is a mentally-defective person usually having a mental age of 8 years or upwards, or if a child, an intelligence quotient of 50 or more. As a rule of the upper limit for diagnosis of mental deficiency should be an intelligence quotient of 69, but this limit should not be adhered to in cases where medical, social and other factors clearly indicate that the patient is mentally defective. The term “moron” includes all mental defectives above the grade of imbecile.
...
Statistical analyses of temperamental abnormalities cannot be made if too great a variety of descriptive terms is used or if a great many terms are used having only s shades of difference in meaning. Experience has shown that the following temperamental traits are of psychiatric importance and should be specified in the sense here indicated. There may of course be combinations of two or more of the traits given may be associated in the same person; when this occurs two or more of the descriptive terms mentioned may appropriately be used.
1. Seclusive: includes persons described as abnormally quiet, reserved, timid, shy, bashful, retiring, secretive, self-absorbed, preoccupied, unsociable, averse to meeting people.
2. Overactive: Includes persons described as abnormally overactive, unusually mentally and physically aggressive, talkative, unduly optimistic, tending to exaltation.
3. Depressive: Includes persons who are worrisome, gloomy, easily discouraged, inhibited, restrained, unable to make decisions.
4. Unstable: Includes persons subject to marked emotional oscillations, either up or down in mood, easily elated or discouraged, unsteady, changeable.
5. Suspicious: Includes persons abnormally mistrustful, sensitive, prone to se sinister meanings in indifferent occurrences, inclined to misinterpretations, feeling discriminated against.
6. Egotistical: Includes persons abnormally self-centered, Conceited, with feelings of superiority and exaggerated self-importance
7. Irritable: Includes persons described as high-tempered, easily annoyed and angered, subject to irascible, explosive reactions; on s provocation abusive and cruel
8. Sexually abnormal: Includes persons with sexual perversions and inversions and also those inclined to prostitution, if not merely symptomatic of a psychosis.
9. Criminalistic: Includes persons with antisocial traits; history of various major and minor offences, if not merely symptomatic of a psychosis.
10. All other temperamental peculiarities or psychopathic traits to be specified by appropriate descriptive terms.
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OK, maybe it is not so bad, now that I have written this down, I do not feel so bad. I feel that I am probably not a Seclusive, Depressive, Suspicious, Sexually abnormal, Criminalistic Idiot. I might use the term Moron more ly from now on. And I think that I will read more of fortune cookies and less of those tiny Medical publications I happen to find on my bookshelves.
Oh, I am a Sagittarius, and an Iron Rooster. Hmm... Should I even post this one? Maybe just as a reminder.
i can't get past all those PC terms.
Oh no. (Don’t say that. Not now, not here.) : )
Yeah. They are a bit strange. The author did not have television.
okay, definitely good to know...
may I borrow the book ?
you can mail it to me snail mail, see I will even send you my address. but it would be better if you can just scan me a copy and e-mail it to me ?
:)
tomorrow I shall look to see if I have a little green book on my shelve,
24 hours of no sleep and successful rough cut tends to put me in a good mood giddy.
rough cut as in editing, on film that is.