Here, then, was a case of hysterical psychosis, liberated by military service.
Fugue, psychoneurotic.
Case 173. (Logre.)
The question, Is this escape really a fugue? is brought up not only in epileptic, alcoholic, and melancholic cases, but also in cases suggestive of psychoneurosis. A son of an insane person was subject to what may be called a phobic or obsessive fugue. The case may be called one of morbid cowardice and was observed in a soldier in the trenches. In point of fact, the man had always been an anxious and fearsome person, given to phobias. He had night terrors and fear of diseases and death. He was agoraphobic in adolescence, and had to have a policeman or passerby go with him through a public place. He had had also suicidal and homicidal obsessions, and periods of psychoneurotic anxiety.
This man’s sojourn at the front put his morbid personality to a cruel test. He was soon known by all in the trenches as a froussard. He had a terrible fear of the guns, jumped, grew pale, trembled, complained of palpitations, lumps in the throat, etc. He was the laughing-stock of his comrades; but according to the patient himself, he was more afraid of his own emotion than of the shells, although his comrades couldn’t understand it. He was employed as a kitchenman, in a post not much exposed. A more resolute comrade helped him to escape, escaping also himself, thus bringing up the problem of fugue á deux. Limited responsibility was decided for the case, although the fugue had been aided by his morbid anxiety. Of course, his place was not in the trenches at all. He was condemned to two years in prison. After his sentence, he was given a chance to rehabilitate himself by sending him again to the trenches, but he had to be evacuated a few weeks later on account of his increasing emotionality.
Shell-shy; war bride pregnant: Fugue with amnesia and mutism.
Case 174. (Myers, January, 1916.)
A rifleman, 30 years old, was brought to a casualty clearing station, looking like an imbecile, with a history of having wandered about aimlessly, not knowing where he was or what he was doing. On questioning, he remained absolutely speechless and terrified. Four days later, in conversation with Major Myers, he was got to speak in a faint voice about his wife, home, and occupation, saying that the month was October (when it was actually August) and that he had been in France two months, when it was actually twelve. He described emotionally certain trench scenes, and then thought of his wife sewing.