Citation

Anonymous. The Chicago medical journal 1869; 26(6): 178-179.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1869)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

37412456

PMCID

PMC9787080

Abstract

There are perhaps few of our readers who have not been by turns amused, disgusted and wearied at the frequency with which, of late years, the plea of insanity has been urged as an excuse for crime. Nothing appears so suggest ive of the existence of insanity previously unsuspected as the perpetration of some outrage upon society, and nothing bo refreshing to the memories of witnesses upon the sub ject of hereditary taints. It behooves the Thugs and cut-throats to overhaul their genealogical registers and to trace, if possible, their relationship to some crack-brained ancestor, some lunatic aunt, or delirious uncle, whose possible bequest of his malady may prove an inestimable treasure: more precious than fine gold, or even five- twenties ; for it may save his (or her) neck from a halter. It becomes a question for the consideration of parents, whether a legacy of delirium tremens or epilepsy be not quite as valuable an inheritance for their children as a life insurance policy. It certainly has affected many times what the latter never has--insured life. But our cousins, the other doctors (of the law) appear to be widening their field of philanthropy. Some individual in haste to get rich, commits a forgery, and he is straightway found guilty --not of crime--but of moral insanity. A woman shoots her lover (or some other woman's) and she is found guilty of menstrual irregularity. Again, a man shoots his employer, and threatens to shoot others, and he is found guilty of epilepsy. We do not discover, however, that any means have been taken to prevent a repetition of these diverting eccentricities of genius, their perpetrators decided by verdicts of juries to be legally irresponsible agents, being still permitted to go at large. And as the class exempted from legal responsibility threatens to become so large that it cannot by any possibility be expelled from society, would it not be well for the Legislature to provide a sane asylum for the reception and protection of all those who desire neither to kill nor yet to be killed. The aboli tion of the death penalty is " a consummation most de- voutedly to be wished," and should be effected just as soon as the assassins set the example.

Language: en