The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-09-26
PHYSICAL CAUSES OF CRIME.

Recent anthropological researches al tend
to show that crime, as q rule, is the direct re-
suit Of physical causes rather than Of moral,
and that these last are In fact the effects Of
those agencies. Commenting upon this SUBJ
jeot the New York Times observes:
At the late International Congress In Paris
one Of the most prominent saua'sts said that
he had examined nineteen skulls OF persons
who had been executed for murder, and in
every one the sutures presented an abnormal
appearance, their connections being far more
Irregular and Of greater number than is us
,lal. Another delegate had examined thirty
six skulls. of criminals, with precisely the
same result, LESSONS and deficiencies having
been found everywhere. The conclusion OF
the congress certainly high authority-was
that criminals present distinct variations from
the physically and morally healthful members
OF the human family.
II this be true and 1t can be definitely es-
tablished that crime Id the immediate fruit OF
an abnormal physician conformation, besides,
revolutionizing the methods by which SO.
ciety has been accustomed to deal with Grim
inals, 1t will open up immense possibilities
for the moral and physical improvement of
the human race. The tendency Of modern
thought for d number OF years has been to
lessen the moral responsibility OF criminals,
but we do not remember to have seen such D
suggestion Of irresponsibilty resulting from
disease or an abnormal physical conforma-
tion.
MIR. Leckie. or Mr.. Buckle, we do not re-
member which, long ago advanced the prop
osltion that almost invariably the criminal Is
but the instrument Of crime for which soci-
ETY. itself is directly responsible. While this
observation Is doubtless true In measure,
and while 1t lessons the responsibility Of the
individual, 1t offers no new suggestion for the
prevention or punishment Of crime. II. how
ever, it can be shown that certain physical
conditions invariably accompany the perpe-
tration of crimes, 1T will not take long to dis
cover and classify those conditions, and In
o. few years q physician will be able to
diagnose O natural murderer, or thief, or
forger with as much accuracy as he can now
detect q case of consumption or yellow fever.
Should this, which now appears probable
from the observations OF the French savants,
ever become an established fact, 1t is very
easy to see how crime might be almost en-
tfrely prevented and eradicated from society.
It would come to be looked on merely as
disease and be treated accordingly by physi-
Each member Of society would be required
to submit to examinations, at certain
stated periods, by the sanitary Off
GERS OF the government, and where the
physical conditions peculiar to any
particular class Of criminals are detected. the
person so afflicted would be put under
peculiar influences, and even confined or
watched continually where the developments
are unusual. These developments may be
inherent from birth and ineradicable, or they
may be transient and durable. In either
event, the knowledge of their existence and
the consequent predisposition, of which they
are the evidence, will be Of the utmost value
In the efforts at the suppression and preven-
tion Of crime. In the selection of persons for
responsible positions it will be of not less
value. When O. cashier develops O. stealing
lesion he will be Immediately relieved
and put under treatment. It will be the oc-
casion of some queer Incidents. tendency
to crime, being purely physical, no more
moral aversion will attach to 1t than TO a
headache or the measles. The epidemic char
acter OF crime has long been noted, and this
would appear to be an evidence Of the tran
sient nature Of the physical causes Of it, We
can imagine two friends discussing murder,
d suicide epidemic, or defaulting sconrge,
and fnquiring after each others health
whether they have developed any Of the Pc
cular LESSONS or other symptoms so far, etc.
Now, that Mr.. Edison has discovered way
to house daylight for use after night there is
no telling what we will be knowing all about
In few years.
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