(1938). Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 7:276-277 Mentality and Homosexuality: By Samuel Kahn. Boston: Meador Publishing Company, 1937. 249 pp. Review by: Ruth Loveland This book reports a study of male and female homosexuals, most of them prisoners in the New York County Penitentiary and the Women's Workhouse. The object of the study was to diagnose homosexuality among the prisoners and to investigate the psychological status of homosexuals. The writer describes the methods used to lead the prisoners to an admission of homosexuality, reports family, past, and personal histories with particular attention to physical illnesses, venereal diseases, drug addiction, occupation, sexual habits and gives records of psychometric examinations. His findings indicate that most of the individuals studied were members of large families in which there were emotional disturbances, marital difficulties and sometimes the early death of one or both parents. In the group studied nothing unusual in the way of physical illnesses was noted. Venereal disease among them was rare. Most of the homosexuals studied were drug addicts. The results of the psychometric e [This is a summary or excerpt from the full text of the book or article. The full text of the document is available to subscribers.] |
