This belief often translates itself naturally into the folk-theory that the body of the child has also been changed, when examination proves only a change of personality as recognized by psychologists; or, in a distinct type of changelings, those who exhibit great precocity in childhood combined with an old and wizened countenance, there is neither a changed personality nor demon-possession, but simply some abnormal physical or mental condition, in the nature of cretinism, atrophy, marasmus, or arrested development.
"The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries"
W. Y. Evans Wentz
It is found, however, that its removal entails myxoedema, a condition closely allied to cretinism.
"The Old Riddle and the Newest Answer"
John Gerard
In 1888, Sir Felix Semon, as an outcome of a collective investigation, established for all time that cretinism, myxedema and post-operative myxedema were one and the same.
"The Glands Regulating Personality"
Louis Berman, M.D.