In the presentation of a paper with this title I fully realize that I am treading on dangerous ground. The subject is of great importance, however, in that distinguished and trained neurologists have differed, for instance, as to whether the Babinski phenomenon, absent knee-jerks, incontinence of urine and feces, ankle-clonus and other usual signs of organic disease are ever found in hysteria.
In remarking on this I shall only quote a few statements gathered here and there from the literature on the subject. Mills1 thinks that true astereognosis, loss of the sense of position, true ataxia and hemianopia are not found in hysteria. Purves Stewart2 states that in hysteria absent knee-jerks, incontinence, of bladder and rectum and the Babinski phenomenon never occur. Babinski himself says that hysteria itself is incapable of modifying tendon-reflexes. Dana3 says that the sphineters are never involved except temporarily or through some complication.