Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-10-03
HYpNor1sM AND CRIME.
Question as to the Responsibility
of Mesmeric Subjects.

of Mesmeric Subjects.
At the international congress of ex-
detrimental and therapeutical hypnot-
ism, which has just close in Paris, an
important subject discussed was the re-
lation of suggestion and somnambulism
to medical Jurisprudence and the re
sponsibility in hypnotic states. This
report was read by NJ. Liegeois, profes-
sor of law at the faculty Of Nancy. The
author classed the different questions
to be examined under four different
heads: l, criminal suggestion; 2, med
ico-legal reports 3, criminal Jurispru-
dence; 4, various questions. The first, the
most important of the medico-legal
questions raised by hypnotism is, he
said, the suggestions of crimes or other
felonius acts that can be made to per-
sons in somnambulic state. DR.. Lie
bault, of Nancy, was the first who sig
nailed the possibility and the danger of
like suggestions and the quest on has
since been discussed at the Academy OF
Mora and Physical Sciences. ltresults
from exr eriments made, that with GER
tam subjects and by various means a
state of profound somnambulsm can
be produced, and that in this state
acts can be suggested which, once the
hypnotized person awakened, will be
ACCOMPLISHED with an absolute uncon-
seriousness. The author of these expert
ments concluded that the person COM
hitting the material act ought TO be
considered as irresponsible and the hyp-
notizer alone be punished. This doc
trine is professed by all the physicians
of the Nancy school, butts in direct OPP
position with the theories of the Salpe-
triere school.
Concerning medico-legal reports, Prof.
Liegeois said that if tine po siblllty OF
making persons commit criminal a is
by suggestion be admitted, it m ght
happen that the author of the sugges
ton would not be known. Moreover.
the author of the criminal suggestion
might, and probably would, suggest to
the sub ect whom he wished to make an
instrument of hisvengeance or cupidity,
to not recall any Of the cir eumstances
preceding the crime and to believe that
he alone has the idea Of it, etc. The
amnesia thus aroused would be serious
obstacle against the best directed efforts.
NJ. Liegeois' conclusions rs to the r.
oonsibility of hypnotizable subjects
apply only to those who can be put into
a profound state of somnambullsm;
their automatism being absolute they
are not free, and therefore irresponsible.
He presented certain indications by
means Of which it could be shown that
the author of the felonius at is hypno-
tizable, and to such a point that he
could be irresistably made to realize the
suggestions. Taking as basis certain
experiments made by Profs. llebault
and Bernheim, he thinks that somnam-
bulic utomat SIN can be combated by
forcing It to produce effects contrary to
those that the real culprit had supposed:
In other words as the accused would
never, by virtue of the order received
d rectly denounce the author of the sng-
gestion, he must be made to do so indi-
reetly by acts whose signifcation he
would not comprehend, OF even by
measures that would have the appear
anee of being for the protection or de-
fanse Of the criminal msef. An e1-
per menter could thus make to the hyp-
not zed subject, relative to the author OF
the criminal suggestion, all the sugges-
tons that would not be directly and ex-
pressly contrary to the amnesia already
suggested. The veritable culprit would
thereby fall into the hands of justice be-
cause t would have been impossible for
him to foresee everything.
To show the influence exercised by
hypnotic suggestion in the distr button
OF Justice, lrof Liegois cited several
cases of condemnation for crimes in
which the accused were in hypnotic
state when the crimes We're committed
or who were charged by persons in an
historical or hallucinated state.