Pedagogical Anthropology, Maria Montessori [online e book reader TXT] 📗

Outline: Father an alcoholic.—Mother subject to migraine.—No consanguinity between the parents. Equality of ages (difference of two years).—A sister died of convulsions.—Conception during an alcoholic excess on the part of the father.—Albuminuria during pregnancy.—The child cried both night and day.—Twitchings of the body and head.—Did he ever have convulsions?—Fits of anger.—At the time of admission, he could neither speak nor walk (July 30, 1881, age 3 years).—The child has involuntary emissions of fæces and urine (is uncleanly).

September, 1884.—The child has learned to walk.

1885.—Development of speech.—The child is beginning to give notice of its natural necessities.

1886.—The child is no longer uncleanly.—The twitchings of head and body and the fits of anger have diminished.

1887-1890.—Progressive improvement, with alternate progressive and stationary periods.

1891.—Description of the patient.

1892-1897.—Physical and intellectual evolution.—Progress in studies.—Acquirement of a trade.—Results.

Remote Antecedents. (Notes furnished by the mother.)—Father: 35 years old, tailor's cutter, large, strong, of calm temperament, a smoker; numerous excesses of alcoholic beverages, especially absinthe—as many as eleven a day; venereal excesses; came home intoxicated almost every day; never had convulsions in infancy, nor any nervous shock; suffered only from eczema. No syphilis.—Father's Family: Paternal grandfather a mason, sober, died of heart disease. Paternal grandmother, of calm temperament, enjoyed good health. No other information regarding paternal ancestry.—Mother: 33 years old, seamstress, good health, regular features; no convulsions in infancy. Menstruated at age of 13 years, married at 20. Suffered from migraine since she was nine years old. These headaches lasted three days and occurred at the menstrual periods, ceasing throughout pregnancy and lactation. The symptoms were: headache, buzzing in the ears, to the point of deafness, and vision of sparks before the eyes. The attacks terminated with vomiting. Mother's Family: Father sober and in good health; mother died of influenza. No information regarding either the ascendant or collateral branches; but there seem to have been no other cases of nervous disease in the family. No consanguinity, no disparity in ages. Brothers and Sisters of the Patient: The mother of D—— had five children; the first, a boy ten years and a half old, intelligent, no convulsions; the second, a girl, died at fourteen months, after having convulsions that continued for eight days; the third, a girl, seven years old, intelligent, no convulsions; the fourth, the patient in question; the fifth, a girl, born after D——'s admission to the asylum; she is intelligent and healthy, no convulsions.

Near Antecedents. The child's mother is convinced that the conception took place during alcoholic intoxication. Pregnancy was accompanied by generalised œdema from the fifth month onward, due to albuminuria. No eclampsia. No fainting fits, etc. Delivery timely, difficult, but accomplished naturally. The child at birth was strong and not asphyxiated. Was nursed by the mother for the first two months, after which he depended upon hired nurses and artificial feeding (was sent to the country where he was fed chiefly from the bottle). Was returned to the mother at the age of eleven months; could not walk; would eat anything within reach of his hands, coal, excrements. Cried continually, day and night, to the great disturbance of the neighbours. Cut his first tooth at five months; and at the age of three years the first dentition was not yet completed. Has a habit of swaying his body forward and backward; beats his head against the wall, the chairs, etc., and strikes his forehead with his clenched fist. Has habitual constipation. Is extremely affectionate, loves to be caressed. Yet he will bite anyone who approaches him, including his brothers and sisters. It cannot be learned whether when he was staying with the wet-nurse he ever had convulsions. It is certain that he had none after his return to the family. The habit of onanism dates from the time of his return from the nurse. Vaccinated at 13 months, slight attack of varioloid at the age of two years; no other infectious diseases. No manifestation of scrofula; no traumatism.

Objective Examination of the Patient (omitted).—The history is accompanied by eight photographs of the boy, taken respectively at the ages of 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 15, and 16 years, three of which, namely, those taken at the ages of 6, 11 and 16, are reproduced on page (278).

July 2.—He is uncleanly (emissions of fæces and urine). Does not know how to behave at table; when he eats he spills his food over his clothing. Is gluttonous but not voracious; he does not steal the food of his companions, but he protests when he sees food given to others and not to him. Is mistrustful, hides his bread for fear that it will be taken from him; and if any one takes notice of this, he utters a cry of rage. He is affectionate, very timid, jealous, obstinate, grumbling, somewhat sullen, seldom laughs. Although weak, he fights his companions and frequently falls into fits of anger; then he flings himself on the floor and beats his head against the furniture. He sways his body forward and backward. His power of speech is limited to three words: papa, mamma, and no. He is able to make himself understood when he wants anything.

August-September.—Two slight attacks of ophthalmia. The child has now learned to walk.

January-March, 1885.—Otitis (Inflammation of the ear).

August.—The ability to speak is developing progressively. He has begun to give notice of his natural necessities; is seldom uncleanly, so that it is now possible to let him wear trousers. The habit of balancing his body back and forth is tending to disappear. The accesses of anger have become rarer. He is less jealous and plays indiscriminately with his companions.

January, 1886.—The improvement continues. D—— is now very attentive in school. When out walking he takes an interest in the things he sees and asks for explanations. Is doing well in the first gymnastic exercises. Makes a good appearance.

March.—D—— has now become altogether cleanly. Furthermore, he knows how to wash, dress and undress himself alone. At table, can handle his spoon and fork quite properly, but cannot yet manage his knife. Is less gluttonous; his speech is fully developed. Although he cannot keep still in school and constantly changes his position, he has succeeded in learning to know his letters, the different colours, etc., can count up to 50, and can name the greater part of the objects contained in the boxes used for object lessons. The balancing of the body has completely disappeared. D—— has a tendency toward onanism. Accesses of anger an still noted, during which he is very vulgar.

December.—Condition stationary. Misconduct in class, frequent fits of anger, during which he abuses everyone and strikes his smaller comrades.

March, 1887.—D—— is calmer and does better work. Can count up to sixty. His general knowledge has increased. Can tell his age, his name, the name of his parents, what their employment is, where they live, etc.

April, 1888.—The improvement continues. His behavior is better. Has learned the names of materials, of plane surfaces, of solids; can distinguish vowels from consonants. It has been impossible to induce him to trace simple strokes even upon the blackboard.

December.—Is more diligent and has taken a fancy to writing.

January-June, 1889.—Is in the infirmary on account of anal ulcers.

December.—Notable improvement in general knowledge. Has begun to write certain letters in his copybook.

December, 1890.—D——'s conduct is good. He is no longer disorderly; and if at times it is necessary to reprove him, he recognises his fault, cries, and promises to do better. He fears above all that his misconduct will be reported to his mother. Has a fairly accurate notion of right and wrong, is no longer so extremely jealous and shows affection for his comrades. Has learned to write syllables well; is able to copy short paragraphs; can do simple sums in addition; gives clear answers to questions. Walking, running, jumping, going up and down stairs have become easy for him. The child uses his fork and knife at table; chews his food well, does not suffer from any digestive disturbance. Is orderly, and attends to himself in all details of his toilet.

April 21, 1891: Objective Examination.—The child's face has a uniformly ruddy complexion; lips full-blooded; skin smooth, without scars or eruptions, excepting a slight scaliness due to eczema. Two small ganglia in the left submaxillary region, but no others in any other locality. Cranium symmetrical; volume and form normal. Frontal and parietal nodules slightly prominent; occipital nodule quite prominent (pentagonoid cranium). Hair light blonde, abundant, fine, growing low upon the forehead. Posterior vortex normal, forehead wide, but not high. Visage oval; with a slight depression of the nostril and corner of the mouth on the right side; has on the whole an intelligent expression; it is mobile and reflects the moods and feelings natural to boyhood. The superciliary arches are only slightly arched. The eyebrows are chestnut in colour and scanty; the lashes are abundant and long. Iris dark blue; pupils equal in size and react under the influence of light. No functional disturbance, and no lesion in regard to the eyes. Field of vision normal. D—— recognises all the colours. Nose small, and straight, with a pronounced aperture of the nostrils. Zygomata regular, without exaggerated prominences; naso-labial furrows barely indicated. Aperture of mouth very wide and habitually half open. Lips thick and slightly drooping. Tongue normal. Palatine vault distinctly ogival. Tonsils enlarged; the boy is subject to tonsillitis. All these parts show quite a blunted sensibility, which permits of an examination of the pharynx, without causing nausea. Chin rounded, without indentation. Ears long and thick, the outer edge is normal, including the fold of the helix; the ears protrude conspicuously from the cranium and are very peculiar in shape; namely, the upper two-thirds of the external ear form with the lower one-third an obtuse angle of such nature that the concha or shell really represents the outline of a very deep and almost hemispherical sea-shell. The lobule is thick, regular, and notably detached. The ear is the seat of frequent attacks of erythema, complicated by swelling. Neck rather short and quite stout; circumference 26 centimetres. The lobes of the thyroid glands are plainly palpable to the touch.