The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-04-22
BRAINS OF MURDERRRs.
Mental Responsibility QuAlIfsd ny an
Abnormal Growth Beneafh the Skull,
New York Sun.


Abnormal Grewth Beneath the skull.
New York Sun.
European men of science lose no op-
portunity which may present itself for
making minute pOst.mortem exAmina-
ton of the brains of executed murderers.
The results are always interesting, and
promise thus far to develop facts which
may finally lead to some approximately
definite method by which the degree of
personal responsibility for crime may be
fixed. The facts as now developed dem
onstrate with remarkable unanimi:y that,
in the majority of cases muir
derers are in some abnormal, or morbid
condition, or suffering from organic or
functional trouble, when they commit
the crime for which they are executed.
That these investigations are matters of
the highest consequence cannot for q
moment be questioned. They will, in
the early future, not only largely modify
our decisions as to the accountability Of
murderers, but while showing that GER
tain physical causes induce homicidal
tendencies. will teach US that murder
may often be prevented by placing un-
der restraint-or, better yet, under medi-
cal treatment-those who develop like
conditions.
How we'll some of our own physicians
appreciate the importance of this matter
has been recently shown by their careful
observations of the brains, skulls and the
physical aspects in general Of homicides
and suicides. No longer ago than the
7th of January last the Sun. in its report
of the hanging of Lammens and Mrs.
Meierhofer, gives some details of the
post mortem examination. Mrs. Meier
hofer's skull was found to be unusually
thick. Her brain weighed Az ounces,
and did not indicate intellectual power.
Lammen's brain was small, weighing
only Al Il ounces. A small, bony tumor
was found under the medulia oblonga-
to-" In these cases the surgeons decld-
ed that neither of the criminals
had been insane. We may, however,
have a reasonable doubt if, with BRAIN
as described, Lammens was wholly or
legallY>responsible. 1t is curious fact
that the Sun of the same date contained
an article on the Medical Aspects of
Crime" in which the case is mentioned
of Christian man who became cruel,
profane and grossly immoral without APP
parent cause, but, finally dying of pdr-
alysis, an examination of the base of the
brain revealed tumor, as in Lammens'
case. 1t is evident that, apart from
hereditary faint, malformations and
other abnormal states of criminals, two
physiological conditions are frequently
associated with murderers-brain tumors
and brain softening.
A post mortem examination of the
brain of Menesclou, recently executed
for a horrible crime in Paris, showed
the following results: The brain, though
apparently healthy, was sent to the An
thropological Laboratory, where anatom-
ical specimens are prepared. It was
tod f.ok kog l,k1
was the unmistakable brain softening,
which attacked both sides alike, and that
the first and second convolutions were
affected in a samilar manner. The first
and second temporal convOlutions were
also softened, but not to the same extent,
| while both sides Of the occipital lobe
showed traces of soffening. In fact, the
brain was so much sOftened that it was
difficult to take cast Of it, Portions
also are described as being "dense and
resistant, in quadruped," while a part Of
one side was pronounced as Abnormal.
This peculiarly was, in fact, ulslform
alton, and one which has been found by
Broca, in the majority of suicides, and
in ninety-nine executed criminals, nota.
bly, in the case of the Infamous Provost.
Meneciou's brain weighed somewhat
more than the average weight. It has
previously been noted that this excess
of brain is somewhat general in those
brains of assassins of which it has been
practicable to obtain an account.
1t would seem, IN the light Of such
facts, that hanging may not be the besI
means to which such men can be put
Could it not be arranged to place these
unfortunates under careful medical treat
ment TO ascertain if science cannot dc
more for them than merely dissecting
their brains after execution? It is the
opinion of many medical men that the
time will come when we may be able n
look into the brain and observe these
conditions, or, at all events, discover by
some means-electrfcity, perhsps-tht
condition of the organ before it is placed
forever at rest by the hand of the IN
discriminating ezecutioner.