rawal during childhood from the companionship of members
of the same sex is explicable in a converse fashion. Homosexual adults
often tell us that even in boyhood they shunned the company of other
boys, and sought girl companions, to join in the games of these
latter--and they endeavour to explain this conduct on their part as
determined by contrary sexual inclinations in early childhood. Yet, in
many cases, boys avoid those of their own sex, and seek the
companionship of girls, not for the reason just alleged, but solely
because these boys thus early experience erotic stimulation when
associating with girls. In any case, we must carefully avoid
over-estimating the importance of what may appear to be contrary sexual
phenomena during childhood, and we must not be too ready to accept the
occurrence of such phenomena as a proof that sexual perversion had
manifested itself already during childhood. The general possibility of
this occurrence is, of course, not disputed; but the far too common
exaggerations of the matter cannot be too decisively rejected.

The case I have now to describe is that of a woman whose characteristics
during childhood were thoroughly boyish, and who at this time
experienced homosexual inclinations; during the period of the puberal
development, however, the homosexual tendencies disappeared, never to
return.

CASE 10.--Mrs. X., twenty-six years of age, happily married for five
years past, enjoys excellent health, with the exception of pains during
menstruation, has normal intercourse with her husband, experiencing
sexual impulse of full intensity, and a normal voluptuous sensation. The
family history is healthy on the whole; some of the mother's relatives
are described as "nervous"; but in so large a family, otherwise healthy,
this is of trifling significance. Most of her blood-relations are, so
far as inheritable morbid conditions are concerned, thoroughly healthy.
As a girl, X. (whose statements, in so far as I was able to inquire,
were in all important respects substantiated by her mother) was at first
accustomed to seek the companionship of boys only. She was continually
playing with her brothers and their friends, and was always the leader
in their wildest games including war-games, and playing at Indians.
During childhood she was almost always regarded as "the baby," although
she had a sister two years younger than herself, this sister being
altogether girlish in her ways. Very seldom did X. p