The Calumet news., 1913-10-16

| Jhe result ot an irresistible impulse"
DR.. Phelan is surgeon of the Domin :
! ion penitentiary at Kingston and sec
rotary of the Physicians Branch of
| the Prison Association. He said thai
of the numerous questions with which
! physicians have 10 deal the mental
| factor in relation 20 conduct Is "one
most difficult and a the same time
| one of the most important, as It in
| frequently involves the question
! whether the individual is 10 be de-
prived Of his rights, his privileges his
| liberty or even life itself"
There Is n false impression abroad. 10
no continued. that the greater mum
| 5ci of prisoners in penal institutions
| arc insane" He pointed out tho diff
ficulty Of determining where sanity
ended and insanity began and quoted
authorities to the cffec. that "a per-
fcctly healthy mind with perfectly
healthy. wcll-rcgulatcd passions has
never been known or heard Of"
Should Study Character
This recognition of the abnormal
class" he said, and their proper dis
position according 10 the degree OF
their abnormality. will have tend
cncy To safeguard society. and on an
economical basis good results may be
obtained This distinct class requires
to be governed on certain specific
praincipals and it ought 10 he tho
duty of those who exercise authority
ever this class of detectives to stud;
all the weak points in their DISPOSE
tior and character and note the first
awakening of conscience in them 50
as To be able to correct, if possible.
the detection in it, and direct it into
the proper channel. for there may be
vet certain element Of goodness
which requires To he cultivated ana
brought To the surface. The man who,
under an actual III Of mental disturb
ence. due To some exciting cause. COM
mits crime, does not rightly belong
To the class, and from the nature OF
mis- acts and the circumstances at
tending them, his condition may ut
one be recognized. The number IN
this category is not so large as ii may
at first appear. as the mental condi-
tion is discovered before acts against
the law are committed"
Attributes Crime to Disease
Regarding epilepsy Or. Phclan said
that COR centuries the effect of this
'iseasc upon the mind as well as upon
the body of man have contributed in
no small degree towards an important
subject IN his life history. Some of
The greatest crimes in history, he said,
have been committed by cpleptics. Oa
the otncr hand the disease may he
compatible with extraordinary mental
power
DR.. phclan said that moro than
twonty-five per cent of all insanity ia
due to alchohol and fully two-thirds
of an crime is directly or indirectly
due 10 the same cause. He estimated
that fully twenty per cent OF the in
sane inmates of penal institutions are
mentally defective in some form Of
other. He recommended the registra'
ton and segregation of epileptics. but
asserted that they did not like tho
feeble minded aud alcoholics, proper.
ly belong 20 n prison or rciormatory
and should be fostcred and protected
Crime. DR.. Phelan said. reaches its
highest point between the ages of
twenty and thirty. "hcc2usc during
these Jcars mans physical develop
ment is rapidly moving toward COM
pletion. II is during these years that
the wors; and most diftusive passions
,ake almost complete possession Of
him, and his reason has not yet suf-
ficicntly developed by which he can
hope, unless by careful guidance and
the moral and social education of q
home. TO sail safely on the unexplored
seas Of life"