26 S. FERENCZl
v::
neurotic, the pedantry and peculiarities of less severe forms of
catatonia and the means for defence against a tormenting tic is
difficult to determine in many cases and this can often only be done
after analysis of several weeks or even longer. ' Also for a long while
"Tic" was used in France as a dumping ground for heterogeneous
neurotic conditions, like the "vapeurs" at the beginning of last
century or "Psychasthenia" to-day. This doubt prohibits us from
making use of the abundant symbolisation of the penis, of onanism, J
and of castration which appear in the history of this patient, for the purpose of generalising as to the pathogenesis of tics (head, nose, relaxation of the neck muscles, stiff collars, cravat, walking- ^
stick, the stick put between the trousers and the mouth, the knob :
of the stick in the mouth, the symbolism of irritating teeth, tooth i
extractions, letting the head hang, etc.). Fortunately in this respect ;|
we are not dependent upon a single example. A case that I have ;|
closely investigated by analysis* showed me quite clearly, that i
onanistic activities, and genital ones altogether, and erotic excitation |
of the genitals can be transferred to parts of the body or skin, .^|
otherwise not especially erotogenic, in the form of stereotyped movements. The connection with repressed onanism ofOnychohyper- aesthesia, Onychophagia, sensitiveness of the hair, and the tic-like tugging and tearing of the hair is generally known. Not lung ago I was able to break a young man of the worrying habit of biting ^
his nails by a single discussion of his onanistic tendencies. » The . ^
greater amount of the tics concerns the head and the parts of the face which are particularly favourite spots for symbolical re- presentations of the genital processes.
Meige and Feindel allude to the relationship of the "Occupations cramps" to the tics. These cramps as well as the "occupations delirium" of alcoholism, are in reality substitutes for onanism, as Tausk has pointed out. The peculiar g/ne that urges Tiqururs to hide or mask their distortions reminds one forcibly of the way in which children are wont to conceal their "Sucking or Pleasure- sucking", described by the pediatrist Lindner of Budapest in 1879.
> On this difilculty of differentiating sec further note.
» Hysteric und Pathoncuroscn, "Tcchnischc Schwicrigkcitcn", etc.
' A keen-sighted Hungarian surgeon, Prof. Kovdcs, used to draw the attention of his audiences to the symptom of biting the nails and said these were people who were unable to let prominent parti of the body alone.
.f
