The Cairo bulletin., 1912-09-06
Indiana Institution, Equips Labor
atory in Hope of Finding Way
to Cure Criminals
CRlMIN0LOGIST IN CHARGE
Undeveloped or Defective Brain
Declared to be Responsible
for Unlawful Acts

JetferSonylile, lnd.- sept. 1.~-Lt'
D. c. Peyton, superintendent OF the
Indiana Reformatory, has made an
nouncament that he has completed
arrangements for having the insti-
tuition equipped with psychological
laboratory for the study of crimi-
nails. The laboratory it is said,
will be the first of its kind.
1t is well-known theory that
many ii not most of the criminals
are victims OF defective or undevel-
ored brains. Or. feyton and other
crimnologists hope that work in the
laboratory will aid in discovering
the exact nature OF these defects and
deYelope means of curing them.
Prof. Rufus Bernard Won Klein
smid is head OF the department OF
psychology of criminals, while Dr..
peyton will work on the pathology
OF criminals.
The reformatory. to which all
male offenders in Indiana between
the ages OF IS and 80, except those
receiving life sentences, are sent,
contains from 1909 20 1900 prison
ers the year round DR.. Peyton
said that researches to date show
probably one-third Of these enter
ling the Institution are mentally un-
der II years of age. although physi-
cally more than twice that age.
Defective Brain Cause.
Crime is not exactly disease,
Dr.. Peyton said 1T may better be
regarded as an evidence of defective
or undeveloped brain Through
medical science the world Learned
that insanity is q physical and not
"a spiritual i'll and kindness and
scientific treatment supplanted
harshness and unscientiflc methods
50 also crime is a problem for the
neuroligist and the psychologist
ard the field of research is the brain
and the mind We should recognize
that crime, like disease, has natura
causes and before we can treat this
offender we must know his genesis
I'VE account for crime deformi
ties by reason of an infammator3
interference with the brain cells
May not science yet disclose tina
crime is but the natural reason Of
the defective or undeveloped brain
Who will undertake to point out the
sharp line of demarkation between
the normal and the abnormal: o.
tell where sanity leaves off or in
sanity begins.
Laboratory Work Feasible.
eve have the durable and incur
al lie physical defects and we hayf
the durable and the incurablt
diseases. There is an apparent anf
intimate relation between crime an
defect After all, it is the integrity
OF the brain that determines the in
tegrity OF the life The startling
advance made in the last half cen
fury in the general world of sciene'
by the exact methods Of Laboratory
Investigation has suggested the feas
ibility of their application to thu
problem of penal science.
The psychological laboratory j
no longer an experiment. The Worl
done by Prof, Hugo Munsterberg a.
Harvard aud by others in this field
prove conclusiyely the potency o
the method in determining menta
qualities, in detecting psychic de
fects, and in estimating the genera
state of the central nervous system
But, incredible as it may seem
there is no penal or reformatory In
stitution having the care OF male
where psychological methods forum
lated on scientific laboratory eX
perimeuts are in use or even wherf
a comprehensive scheme OF psychi
findings has any place in the genera
management Of criminals.
"The idea of punishment TO
crime is in essence singularl
archoic, barking back to the oil
punitive system of the Mosaic Law
we would not nave mduullH sehei
ment usurp the place of even strab
ismic justice, but we would approach
the subject from the standpoint o.
broad humanism and treat it as
problem Of physical science.
I'VE cannot hope to control an
improve the offender unless W
know him, and to know him W
must study him, his conduct, hi
/ physical and mental makeup, TIL
general ensemble of his qualities
This can be done, first, in th
larger field of personal contact an
individual handling; aud, second, i.
the psychological and patholiglca
laboratory"