The phrenological theory of the treatment of criminals defended, in a letter |
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The Phrenological Theory of the Treatment of Criminals Defended, in a Letter Marmaduke Blake Sampson No preview available - 2015 |
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act of inherent admit amputation appear argument arise barbarous injustice belief benevolent treatment best security British and Foreign capital punishment Cheapside check crime commit murder commits no crime condemn all offenders consequences countries crime of murder criminal jurisprudence degree deny disorder doctrine effect as example evidence evils fact feel fellow creature fever Foreign Medical Review furnished healthy brain healthy moral standard homicidal horse-races and fairs ill-conditioned impel its possessor impression in society increase the number inference inflammation infliction of punishment influence of external infringe the laws inherent and barbarous laws from ignorance M. B. SAMPSON mankind members of society ment mental power murders his keeper necessary number of murders obedience objection offence organ partial insanity perpetual imprisonment persons annually steal physiologists proceed propensity prove public executions receives no pity remark resorted Sampson advocates sanity tion typhus fever unfortunate sufferer unsound brain vicious and depraved views virtuous wholesome examples wholly wrong
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Page 7 - DISORDERS of intellect," answered Imlac, "happen much more often than superficial observers will easily believe. Perhaps, if we speak with rigorous exactness, no human mind is in its right state. There is no man whose imagination does not sometimes predominate over his reason, who can regulate his attention wholly by his will, and whose ideas will come and go at his command. No man will be found in whose mind airy notions do not sometimes...
Page 6 - I believe to be the only definition consistent with common sense, — viz. ' that, so far from the Creator having sent into the world some beings who are responsible and others who are exempt from responsibility, there is, in fact, no exception whatever ; and that every human being is alike responsible, — responsible (according to the degree of his departure, either in mind or body, from that degree of sanity necessary to the proper discharge of his social duties) to undergo the painful but benevolent...
Page 6 - The doctrine of responsibility which appears to me to be alone consistent with reason, religion, and morality, is simply this, — that, so far from the Creator having sent into the world some beings who are responsible, and others who are exempt from responsibility, there is in fact no exception whatever ; and that every human being is alike responsible ; — responsible (according to the degree of his departure, either in mind or body, from the degree of sanity necessary to the proper discharge...
Page 6 - ... no error of judgment or conduct can ever arise but as the result of a defective condition of that organ.
Page 7 - ... social purposes, that mind which comes up to the average state of mental power characterizing the society of which it is a part. This average state of the social mind is precisely indicated by the laws and institutions which society frames, or permits to be framed, for its own governance ; and hence it may very safely be taken as a rule, that every person is sane to the requisite extent for the performance of social duties, so long as he possesses the mental power and disposition to act in obedience...
Page 15 - In Tuscany, while there were no capital punishments, there were but four murders in twenty-five years, while in R,ome there were twelve times that number in a single year, death being the penalty. Under the stern severity of the British law, crimes have increased in fourteen years, as twenty-four to ten, that is more than doubled ! Of 167 convicts under sentence of death, Mr. Roberts found that 164 had attended executions. A punishment cannot be...
Page 6 - ... of hereditary transmission, and the subsequent influence of external circumstances. "3. That if the foregoing proposition be correct, the treatment of the morbid manifestations of the brain should be carried on upon the same principle as the treatment of the morbid manifestations of any other organ ; and that it must be irrational to inflict punishment upon the sufferer from an ill-conditioned brain at the same moment that we expend our utmost care and pity upon the victim of ill-conditioned...
Page 6 - ... crime has been one great cause of its increase, and that it can only be safely and effectually subdued by adopting towards the sufferer the same mode that we should employ if his disorder instead of being seated in the brain were seated in any other organ; namely, by benevolently directing our sole efforts to the mitigation of his infirmity. I may add, that in working out the above propositions I touched upon the glaring evils constantly...
Page 7 - Although it cannot be maintained that there exists any human mind in a state of perfection, yet we may consider as perfect, for all social purposes, that mind which comes up to the average state of mental power characterizing the society of which it is a part. This average state of the social mind is precisely indicated by the laws and institutions which society frames...
Page 14 - SECLUSION APART FROM TEMPTATION." * * * " Punishment from man is not necessary ; when a patient is suffering from fever, we do not attempt to ' punish' him, but we keep him in seclusion from all but his medical attendants (who run little risk of infection), and we oppose his irrational desires, control his actions, and, if necessary, perform painful operations.