criminal psychology-第115章

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r　of　popular　maxims　indicate　the　popular　opinion　that　it　is　best　to　get　out　of　the　way　of　a　drunkard；　never　to　help　him；　because　he　can　best　look　after　himself。　The　public　seems　to　know　this　very　well；　theoretically；　but　in　practice　no　wife　applies　this　theory　when　her　drunken　husband　comes　home；　in　practice　the　policeman　looks　after　the　drunkard；　in　practice　the　peasant　and　the　master　quarrel　with　the　drunken　servant　and　the　apprentice；and　then　everybody　wonders　when　suddenly　superiors　are　hurt；　maimed；　and　otherwise　opposed。

The　best　evidence　for　the　certain　but　very　definite　routine　in　which　the　drunkard　moves；　is　the　example　cited　by　Combe＇1＇　concerning　the　porter　who；　while　drunk；　had　wrongly　delivered　a　packet。　Later　on　he　could　not　think　where　he　had　brought　it；　but　as　by　chance　he　got　drunk　again；　he　fetched　the　packet；　and　brought　it　to　its　proper　destination。　This　process　indicates　that　the　‘‘in　vino　veritas''　depends　not　merely　on　speech；　but　on　action；　and　that　this　coming　to　the　surface　of　what　is　really　thought　is　the　reason　for　so　many　insults　offered　during　intoxication。　Such　phenomena　are　best　studied　at　the　beginning　of　narcosis；　in　which　all　the　conditions　of　intoxication　come　together　in　a　much　briefer　period　of　time；　and　hence　appear　much　more　clearly。　How　involuntarily　the　inmost　thought　breaks　through　under　such　circumstances；　is　shown　by　an　occurrence　in　a　surgical　clinic。　An　old　peasant　was　to　have　been　subjected　to　a　not　dangerous　but　rare　operation。　The　famous　surgeon　of　the　University　had　one　student　after　another　make　a　diagnosis；　and　asked　one　student　after　another　what　kind　of　an　operation　he　would　perform。　The　peasant　misunderstood　it　altogether；　and　as　he　was　half　stupefied　he　cried　out　involuntarily：　‘‘The　old　donkey　is　asking　one　loafer　after　another　what　to　do。　Nobody　knows　anything；　and　yet　they　are　going　to　operate　on　me。''


＇1＇　Andrew　Combe：　Observations　on　Mental　Derangement。　Edinburgh　1841。

　Things　that　are　thought　are　expressed　just　as　involuntarily　during　intoxication；　and　thus　the　insults；　etc。；　are　accomplished。

What　is　never　believed；　but　yet　may　be　true；　is　the　defence　of　a　prisoner　that　intoxication　led　him　to　steal。　I　know　of　a　talented；　kindly；　and　thoroughly　honorable　young　man；　who　during　slight　intoxication　steals　everything　he　can　lay　his　hands　on。　His　drunkenness　is　so　light　that　he　can　remove　with　complete　skill　his　comrades'　cigarette　cases；　pocket　handkerchiefs；　and　worst　of　all；　their　latchkeys。　At　the　same　time；　he　is　still　drunk　enough　to　have　great　difficulty　in　remembering；　the　next　day；　who　the　owners　of　these　things　are。　Now　suppose　a　thief　told　such　a　story　in　court！

I　cite　from　the　excellent　account　of　Hoffbauer；＇1＇　the　development　of　intoxication：　‘‘At　first　the　consumption　of　liquor　intensifies　the　feeling　of　physical　health；　or　increases　that　health。　It　appears　to　have　a　proportionately　similar　effect　upon　the　powers　of　the　mind。　Ideas　move　easily；　expression　is　smoother　and　more　adequate。　The　condition　and　emotional　attitude　are　such　that　one　might　very　well　always　wish　for　one's　self　and　one's　friends。　Until　this　point　no　intoxication　is　visible。　The　flow　of　ideas　only　increases　and　becomes　more　intense。　Excellent；　appropriate　notions　occur　to　one；　but　there　is　effort　to　restrain　the　irregular　flow　of　thought。　This　state　is　visible　in　the　effort　which　must　be　used　to　carry　on　any　rather　involved　story。　The　ideas　flow　too　rapidly　to　be　easily　ordered　according　to　the　requirements　of　the　story。　At　this　point　the　beginning　of　intoxication　is　already　perceptible。　In　its　development　the　flow　of　ideas　becomes　continually　stronger；　the　senses　lose　their　ordinary　sharpness；　and　as　these　fail　the　imagination　grows　stronger。　The　drinker's　language　is　now；　at　least　in　particular　expressions　and　turns　of　speech；　more　voluminous　and　poetical；　and　rather　louder　than　is　natural。　The　former　indicates　an　intensification　of　imaginative　power；　and　the　latter　a　dulling　of　the　senses　which　becomes　more　and　more　obvious　in　the　development　of　the　intoxication。　For　the　drinker　speaks　louder　because　he　hears　his　words　less　clearly　than　before；　and　judges　the　hearing　of　his　auditors　by　his　own；　although　the　vividness　and　the　more　rapid　flow　of　ideas　induced　by　intoxication　have　a　share　in　this。　Soon　the　dulling　of　the　senses　becomes　still　more　obvious。　For　example；　it　is　seen　that　a　person　who　is　so　drunk　that　he　confuses　otherwise　well…known　companions；　even　if　only　for　a　minute；　thinks　he　puts　his　glass　softly　on　the　table；


＇1＇　J。　C。　Hoffbauer：　Die　Psychologie　in　ihren　Hauptanwendungen　auf　die　Rechtspflege。　Halle　1823。

　although　it　falls　to　the　ground。　And　then　there　are　still　other　forms　of　physical　helplessness　to　be　perceived。　From　his　speech　it　may　be　judged　that　the　connection　between　his　ideas　has　significantly　decreased：　although　still　very　vivid；　they　are　now　like　luminous　sparks　that　appear　and　disappear。　This　vividness　of　ideas；　or　their　rapid　flow；　gives　the　inebriate's　desires　an　unmanageable　intensity　which　reason　can　no　longer　control。　He　follows　them　instantaneously　if　some　accident　does　not　turn　him　aside。　His　physical　helplessness　becomes　now　obvious　in　stammering；　in　a　wabbly　gait；　etc。；　until　finally　he　falls　into　a　deep　sleep　in　which　physical　and　intellectual　repair　begin。

‘‘If　the　conditions　of　intoxication　were　to　be　divided　into　periods；　we　should　have　the　following：　In　the　first　period　of　intoxication　ideas　have　only　an　extraordinary　degree　of　vividness。　The　rule　of　the　understanding　over　actions　is　not　altogether　suppressed；　so　that　the　drunken　fellow　is　fully　conscious　of　his　external　relations　and　is　aware　of　what　is　going　on　within　and　about　him。　But　the　rapid　flow　of　ideas　hinders　careful　reflection　and　leads　to　an　intensified　excitability；　particularly　to　those　emotional　expressions　which　are　characterized　by　the　more　rapid　flow；　This　is　due　to　the　familiar　psychological　law　according　to　which　one　emotional　condition　leads　into　another　as　it　is　more　like　that　other　in　tone。　Anger　and　merriment；　hence；　show　themselves　more　and　more　among　uneducated　people　who　are　not　habituated　to　the　limitation　of　their　emotional　expression　by　reference　to　the　forms　of　the　world　of　fashion。　Without　this　control；　every　stimulation　intensifies　the　emotion；　since　every　natural　expression　adds　to　its　vividness。　The　irritability　taken　in　itself　is　at　this　stage　less　dominant；　inasmuch　as　the　drinker　is　at　the　same　time　satisfied　with　himself；　and　the　self…satisfaction　makes　the　irritability　endurable。　Only　some　accidental　circumstance　can　intensify　and　spread　this　irritability。　Such　circumstances　intensify　the　drunkard　s　liveliness　and　lead　to　the　outbreak　of　merriment　approximating　upon　hilarity；　then　to　a　verbal　quarrel；　which　need　not　yet　be　a　real　quarrel　and　may　be　conducted　in　all　friendship。　It　seems　that　in　most　cases　the　irritability　is　excited　through　the　fact　that　the　drunkard's　self…satisfaction　speedily　lapses；　or　that　he　is　disturbed　in　doing　things　about　which　he　is　conceited。　Now　so　long　as　the　intoxication　does　not　exceed　this　stage；　its　effects　and　the　outbreaks　of　its　passions　may　be　suppressed。　The　drinker　is　here　still　self…possessed　and　is　not　likely　to　lose　control　of　himself　unless　he　is　progressively　excited　thereto。　

‘‘In　the　next　period　of　intoxication；　the　drunkard　still　has　his　senses；　although；　all　in　all；　they　are　considerably　weaker　than　usual；　and　he　is　somewhat　beside　himself。　Memory　and　understanding　have　quite　left　him。　Hence；　he　acts　as　if　the　present　moment　were　the　only　one；　the　idea　of　the　consequences　of　his　actions　having　no　effect　upon　him　because　he　no　longer　sees　the　connection　between　the　two。　And　since　his　whole　past　has　disappeared　from　his　mind　he　can　not　consider　his　more　remote　circumstances。　He　acts；　therefore；　as　he　might　if　the　memories　of　his　circumstances　and　ideas　of　the　consequences　of　his　actions　did　not　control　his　conduct；　and　lead　him　to　rule　himself。　The　slightest　excitation　may　awaken　all　his　strongest　passion　which　then　carry　him　away。　Again；　the　slightest　excuse　may　turn　him　from　what　he　has　in　mind。　In　this　condition　he　is　much　more　dangerous　to　himself　and　others　because　he　is　impelled　not　only　by　the　irresistible　force　of　his　passions；　but　because；　also；　he　rarely　knows　what　he　is　doing　and　must　be　considered　a　pure　fool。

‘‘In　the　last　period；　the　drunkard　has　so　lost　his　senses　that　he　has　no　more　idea　of　his　external　environment。''

With　regard　to　particular　conditions；　it　may　be　held　that　the　quantity　of　drink　is　indifferent。　Apart　from　the　fact　that　we　know　nothing　about　the　quantity　of　alcohol　a　man　has　taken　when　we　hear　merely　about　so　and　so　many　liters　of　wine　or　so　and　so　much　brandy；　the　influence　of　quantities　is　individual；　and　no　general　rule　whatever　can　be　laid　down。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　there　are　young　and　powerful　men　who　may　become　quite　foolish　on　half　a　glass　of　wine；　especially　when　they　are　angry；　frightened；　or　otherwise　excited；　and　there　are　weak　old　people　who　can　carry　unbelievable　quantities。　In　short；　the　question　of　quantity　is　altogether　foolish。　The　appearance　and　constitution　of　an　individual　offers　as　little　ground　for　inference　as　quantity。　The　knowledge　of　a　man's　regular　attitude　toward　the　consumption　of　alcohol　is　a　safer　guide。　Hellenbach　asserts　that　wine　has　always　the　same　influence　on　the　same　individual；　one　always　becomes　more　loquacious；　another　more　silent；　a　third　more　sad；　a　fourth　merrier。　And　up　to　a　certain　limit　this　is　true；　but　there　is　always　the　question　of　what　the　limit　is；　inasmuch　as　many　individuals　pass　through　different　emotional　conditions　at　different　stages。　It　often　happens　that　a　person　in　the　first　stage　who　wants　to　‘‘embrace　the　world　and　kiss　everybody；''　may　change　his　mood　and　become　dangerous。　Thus；　anybody　who　has　seen　him　several　times　in　the　first　stage　may　make　the　mistake　of　believing　that　he　　can　not　pass　it。　In　this　direction　explanations　must　be　made　very　carefully　if　they　are　not　to　be　false　and　deceptive。

It　is　important；　also；　to　know　how　a　man　drinks。　It　is　known　that　a　small　quantity　of　wine　can　intoxicate　if　it　is　soaked　up　with　bread　which　is　repeatedly　dipped　into　the　wine。　Wine　drunk　in　the　cellar　works　with　similar　vigor　if　one　laughs；　is　merry；　is　vexed；　while　drinking；　or　if　a　large　variety　of　drinks　is　taken；　or　if　they　are　taken　on　an　empty　stomach。　For　the　various　effects　of　alcohol；　and　for　its　effects　on　the　same　person　under　different　conditions；　see　Mnsterberg's　‘‘Beitrage　zur　Experimentellen　Psychologie；''　Heft　IV。

The　effect　of　alcohol　on　memory　is　remarkable　in　so　far　as　it　often　happens　that　many　people　lose　their　memory　only　with　respect　to　a　single　very　narrow　sphere。　Many　are　able　to　remember　everything　except　their　names；　others　everything　except　their　residence；　still　others　everything　except　the　fact　that　they　are　married；　and　yet　others　every　person　except　their　friends　（though　they　know　all　the　policemen）；　and　the　last　class　are　mistaken　about　their　own　identity。　These　things　are　believed　like　many　another　thing；　when　told　by　a　friend；　but　never　under　any　circumstances　when　the　defendant　tells　them　in　the　court　room。


Section　112。　（