3.2 Summary of Chief Forms of Criminality to Aid in Distinguishing
between Criminals and Lunatics AND IN Detecting Simulations of Insanity.
A few cases showing the practical application of criminal
anthropology.
The cases described in this chapter show the necessity of being able to
estimate correctly accusations made against insane persons by criminals or
normal individuals. Since, moreover, criminals are prone to sham insanity
in order to avoid punishment, I sum up the characteristics that distinguish
the various types of criminals. With regard to insane criminals, it must be
remembered that every form of mental alienation assumes a specific
criminality.
The idiot is addicted to bursts of rage, savage assaults, and homicide. His
unbridled sexual appetite prompts him to commit rape. He is sometimes
guilty of arson in order to gratify a childish pleasure at the sight of the
flames.
The imbecile or weak-minded egotist is a frequent though imnecessary
accomplice in nearly every crime, owing to his susceptibility to suggestion
and incapability of understanding the gravity of his actions.
Melancholia is often the cause of suicide or homicide (as a species of
indirect suicide). The sufferer generally confesses and gives himself up to
the police. Delusions that he is being poisoned or insulted are often the
cause of the murders committed by this type of lunatic.
Maniacs commit robbery, rape, homicide, and arson, and behave indecently in
public.
Stealing is common among those afflicted with general paralysis, who
believe everything they see belongs to them, or do not understand the
meaning of property.
Dementia causes general cerebral irritation, which frequently results in
murder and violence.
Hysterical persons invent slanders, especially of an erotic nature. They
are given to sexual aberrations and delight in fraud and extravagant
actions to make themselves notorious.
Persons subject to a mania for litigation offend statesmen and others.
Epileptics, of whom bom criminals and the morally insane are the most
dangerous variety, are familiar with the whole scale of criminality. Their
special offences are assault and battery, rape, theft, and forgery. The
first offences are committed intermittingly at the prompting of attacks of
cortical irritation, the last two almost continuously owing
to a state of constant irritation.
To distinguish between genuine insanity and simulation, it must be
remembered that exaggeration of the symptoms is one of the chief
characteristics of shamming. The simulator exaggerates the morbid
phenomena and manifests a greater inco-ordination of ideas than does the
genuine lunatic who gives sensible replies to simple questions, whereas the
simulator talks nonsense. For instance, if a simulator is asked his name,
his answer will show no connection with the question. He will say, perhaps:
"Did you bring the bill?" or if asked how old he
is, will answer: "I am not hungry."
Above all, in order to distinguish between dementia, idiocy, cretinism, and
an imitation of these forms, a minute somatic examination is necessary. It
should be remarked that in idiots, imbeciles, and cretins we generally find
hypertrophy of the connective tissues, earthen hue, scanty beard,
stenocrotaphy, malformations of the skull, ears, teeth, face, and
especially jaws, and there are invariably anomalies in the field of vision,
lessened sensibility to touch and pain (which cannot be simulated since
pain invariably produces dilatation of the pupils), meteoric sensibility,
attacks of hemicrania, neuralgia, hallucinations, and even convulsions,
epileptic fits, tremors disposing to propulsive forms, and, psycho-
logically, absence of natural feeling, sadism, and the inability to adopt a
regular occupation.
When dealing with a simulation of epilepsy, it must be borne in mind that
the epileptic always manifests salient degenerate characteristics,
especially asymmetry of the face, skull, and thorax; and a careful
investigation reveals neurosis of some kind in the family and trauma or
serious illness in childhood. During the seizure, the pupil does not react
(this cannot be simulated) or there is excessive mydriasis. The sudden
pallor, and the exhaustion which follows the fit, are absent in the
simulator, nor does he bite his tongue or injure himself in other ways.
Furthermore, he reacts at the application of ammonia, and as he is not in
that state of asphyxia in which the epileptic lies during the fit, the
closing of his mouth and nostrils likewise produces a reaction.
Hysteria. Here the detection of shamming is more difficult, since deceit is
a characteristic of this disease. Tests with metals, to which hysterical
persons are extremely sensitive, suggestion and hypnotism should be
resorted to. The character of the crime should be specially considered,
because, as we stated, the foundation of hysteria is an erotic one, and
offences committed by the hysterical are nearly always of this nature in
the means or the end.
An examination of sensibility with suitable instruments, and of reflex
action, is to be recommended in all cases.