The symptoms of the conversion cases cited fell into three general groups: (1) those whose physical disturbances are of a respiratory nature; (2) gastro-intestinal; (3) genito-urinary.

These symptoms dated from very early childhood, when they were treated by the author who formerly practised pediatrics exclusively. The physical manifestations in these cases had assumed a secondary role, and had been supplanted by emotional problems by the time the children had reached the seventh year. Subsequently in the absence of any definitely demonstrable organic affection, these children reactivated the pattern established in their previous illnesses as an escape from reality problems.