Inebriety and imbecility : a medico-legal study / by T.D. Crtothers.

  • Thomas Davison Crothers
Date:
1895
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Inebriety and imbecility : a medico-legal study / by T.D. Crtothers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    years when drinking he has been more irritable and quarrel¬ some, and been told that he was crazy at those times. He makes no complaint against any one, and expresses no sor¬ row or indignation at anything concerning the crime or trial. He is strangely indifferent concerning his life, and would not escape if he could, but is ready to die at any time. It makes no difference to him what the result may be. Concerning the future he has been told that by repent¬ ance one can go to heaven ; if this is a mistake he will ac¬ cept the situation. His wishes are of no account, “ as the Lord and the law will have their own way.” No questions of his moral responsibility and guilt in this crime excite any emo¬ tion or nervousness or apparent realization of his condition. He expresses himself coolly and with utter unconcern. At times a half imbecile smile would appear when he could not answer the question, and did not know what to say. There was no irritation or excitement or depression or annoyance from questions which were pressed, and if different answers were suggested he would select the briefest one. When the same question was put in a different form, he seemed not to realize it but answered in monosyllables, irre¬ spective of any previous answer. In all this there was no criminal cunning or attempt to conceal or to appear crazy, but clearly the natural working of a feeble and imbecile mind. He seemed to have a remarkably abnormal brain, in which all the higher functions were paralyzed, and the nor¬ mal consciousness of duty and responsibility were absent. A study of the heredity of this case was startling. His near relatives on both his father’s and mothers side were hard drinkers, and on his mother’s side insanity and epilepsy appear frequently. None of his relatives exhibited anything more than a very low order of intelligence. His maternal grandparents were Willliam and Mary Cal¬ lahan of County Antrim, Ireland. William died in middle life, and Mary lived to be sixty years old, and was insane for some years before her death. Catherine, the oldest daughter, and aunt of John Cronin, became insane from the death of