Kansas City daily journal., 1896-02-14
TWO PHASES OF INSANITY.
MEDICAL hSD ItGhL SIGNIFrCANCE
ANAIYzED BY ENPERTS.
Papers Read by Attorney snyder and by
DIR. Hanawait Before the jackson
County Med cal Socicty-intcr-
csting Points Made.

csting io'ntS Mauc
Insanity In its mcdioo-leral aspect was
treated in two .ncisivc papers read al the
meeting of the jackson county Medical So
ciety last uiEht. aud discussed 10y a number
Of msmbcrs and visitors. The first was en-
titled. The Plea OF Insanity From q Legal
standpoint its author being Hon. J. ".
snyder lecturer on evidence in the Kansas
city School Of Law. The second was. The
Plea ot Insanity From Medical stand
point" 10y Or Il. o. Hauawait. professor
ol diseases In the Kansas city Medical Coi-
lere. Mr Snyder said in part.
THE greatest respect / could pay this
learned body would De manifested by tho
conhniug OF my subject 70 the declarations
OF the law. and carefully ignoring the con-
illusions and beliefs OF medical science. I
am more than willing TO show this respect
and shall study to keep on my side OF the
fence II can make clear and certain the
solution which the courts of our state have
where the defense Of insanity has been iu-
tefrosed ! shall be doing this association
the only service that lies IN my power
In order that these legal problems may
bc systematically reviewed ! shall first ia
courts, as DISTINGUISHED from the civil
courts, There is good reason to preserve
~ The treatment of our subject Tails dis
since u Will be discovered that when the
state cor the welfare OF society is pittpi
against an alleged criminal the establish
msut Of the plea of insanity is "a more cf-
clvI actions For while the Insane crini-
mai might DESTROY ND with inpunitv. il is
not equally true that he can trta With the
property rights and Interests OF innocent
persons. This distinction In the UAing or
criminal and civil liability arises from the
theory that there can De no crime without
criminal intent. and no intent without the
presence oi a certain amount OF reasQni
but IN ciNil courts the intention which led
enter into contract with you cuts little
figure. ana, therefore. he cannot always
Assuming then. that tho Indicted pris-
oncr enters his formal plea of insanity, IL
comprehends the defense Of coarse that
he rs not guilty of crime because he was
insane at the time OF the commission Of
the act charged This character Of plea
IS termed technically hy the LAWYER
avoidance The great great question then
arises, what instruction, shan the
under th" law aul the evidence ia acquit-
ting the defendant what is the touchstone
r2ign,d az the nar ut justice shan 9g an
ohJggt Of sympathy or punishmcut2 Many
iutelligent people believe that The law. in
douoa that expression, has been yacillatiug,
or a. some might term 4, progressive.
Tho truth is that the law % the state Of
Missouri on that point has never changed.
These instructions may he differently word
ed, occasioned by the demands of The par
ticular case or the mental grasp and learn
ing Of the trial judge hut the proper issue
away, s =" oo suIiS,'r ,5 no. w Rary i5 .
sion of the act. know the difference bc-
tween right an! wrong ~ - ,t9sEpli,a'i9n to
the law upon this point for the people OF
this state was declared in the case ot tho
"CriminaI lawyers have never been all
together satisfied with this simple broad
meaasuremeut ef th, criminal respon.iiel.,ity
OF their clients. u seems to their 'nlishl-
rued minds rather crude and coarse, Win
the law 30 strong and clear on the tWo
cardinal docriur- already discussed. Y
may Well Doe asked why has this plea or
IN answering this question We are natUr,
testimony When The time comes for him
CHE ,Nperp o. perform tins irli.Jtc duty
OF ourst tions can bee asked him. lt Ae Pc
ttstiiy.ug purely as an expert ana not
lions must Poe hypothrtitali anu sonnet llmr>
they cover twenty or thirty pages OF type
"FGr mis- reason the same expert may
consistently answer the first question by
stating his opinion that the defendant -
insane ard the second question by stating
MS opinion that the defendant b. sane.
Different pTiSts going into the mliL dintF-
snt meal may come oHl EHhuul any r.
HuJtions being cast properly on IN" mai,
Gentlemcn, ! have aimed % declare the
law of our state a. ] lind II. am fully
they ind the common law rules governing
the plea OF insanity Uupo-sts-nd OF sntrn-
tih1 merit ln1ge gfg{an ris Ir,6in isill %1lI Ir,
the accused 90 work h!- acquitial by prov,
Ing that lie was deprived ~ MS NOR Az
what h. knew was wrong. Whether OF not
pleas OF this nature are 80 abSHllltlE ant
Substantially meritorious that abstract lus-
tire REQUIRES society 20 f1r,ro her safety
ana embrace them must lous remain an
open question. IT. solnti.H Y ii.iy ~ ~, -
pr. Hauawalts paper Was a very clear
and comprehensive synopsis OF What con-
SAID. BY epileptic insanity is meant an
insanity occurring ~ an erIrIAc lAl4-
vidual This may occur tither nrt2rf @ or
after the hts or may take th8lT pIace.
NotwtthstaH4 the lirtum OF SAINT that
ep.leptc insanity possessed chaF5 eterisues
nlzed independently Of the history. the CON
seusus Of opinion seems 20 ee tHat Only III
is one pecUliariiy present iu Emitea num-
brr OF thcS- cases uf eUil-ptie insanity
which Is OF great me3ico-lesal interest.
sometimes performed by the epilepur lie
has been known to 20 about lhe city or
manner as TO excite no suspicion of his
abnormal mental condition, anu yet on To-
had done during this ume. There Is form
of insanity known a IaTano!a' ths char
clearly defined IA The general medical mlud.
IN this form of mental disease there are
serutions and self-eNaltafl0n without
emotional excitement or Impairment ~
memory. The primary form may be acute
or chrouic. The acute begins with q de-
fusion OF persecution.
He Is suspicious OF persons ana things.
Wherever ms may be he believes himself
the subject OF surveillance He reasons
logically and calmly about them, and MS
excitement, u any EroHs cut OF the de-
lusions. ANA not a. IN mania who're the
agitation is the cause OF the d-lusiCHs.
The Judgment, The reasoning power aud
the memory Of some of these paraugiacs
are often wonderful. Par4uoiacs are a
very dangerous class OF the insane. Their
deluslous OF persecution become more and
more fixed unul they feel themselves inn
PEELED TO defend themselves against "a ir
prosecutors by force or far too often By the
most revolving murder This r. suit Is a
logical. often studied sequence Of his
delusions. while murder by the maniac Is
impulsiVe-an accident, 50 70 speak"
The subject was discussed By Drs r. T.
Pt5fss + y. shauhisr' / NJ Ridge aad
T.. W. Riley ana Attorney J :. Rust Mr..
snyder and Or Hanawalt each spoke on
the conclusion OF the general discussion.
= M. Barker. OF Mexico Mo. Dead.
Mexico Mo-, Feb. l3.-tSpeciaLl 81 NJ
Barker, So years old, cashier Of the Wells
willie bank died to-day. He had been IN
about three weeks with stomach troubI..