criminal psychology-第75章

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r　next　mensis　some　degree　of　significant　unrest　and　excitement。　As　soon　as　the　menses　got　their　proper　adjustment　not　one　of　the　earlier　phenomena　could　be　observed；　and　the　child　exhibited　no　further　inclination　to　commit　crimes。＇2＇


＇1＇　Cf。　Nessel　in　H。　Gross's　Archiv。　IV；　343

＇2＇　Cf。　Kraft…Ebing　Psychosis　Menstrualis。　Stuttgart　1902。



Creatures　like　her　undergo　similar　danger　when　they　have　to　make　statements　about　perceptions　which　are　either　interesting　in　themselves；　or　have　occurred　in　an　interesting　way。　Here　caution　must　be　exercised　in　two　directions。　First：　Discover　whether　the　child　in　question　was　passing　through　her　monthly　period　at　the　time　when　she　saw　the　event　under　discussion；　or　when　she　was　telling　about　it。　In　the　former　case；　she　has　told　of　more　than　could　have　been　perceived；　in　the　second　case　she　develops　the　delusion　that　she　had　seen　more　than　she　really　had。　How　unreliable　the　testimony　of　youthful　girls　is；　and　what　mistakes　it　has　caused；　are　familiar　facts；　but　too　little　attention　is　paid　to　the　fact　that　this　unreliability　is　not　permanent　with　the　individuals；　and　in　most　cases　changes　into　complete　trustworthiness。　As　a　rule；　the　criminal　judge　is　almost　never　in　a　position　to　determine　the　inconsistencies　in　the　testimony　of　a　menstruating　girl；　inasmuch　as　he　sees　her；　at　most；　just　a　few　times；　and　can　not　at　those　times　observe　differences　in　her　love　for　truth。　Fortunately　the　statements　of　newly　menstruating　girls；　when　untrue；　are　very　characteristic；　and　present　themselves　in　the　form　of　something　essentially　romantic；　extraordinary；　and　interesting。　If　we　find　this　tendency　of　transforming　simple　daily　events　into　extraordinary　experiences；　then；　if　the　testimony　of　the　girl　does　not　agree　with　that　of　other　witnesses；　etc。；　we　are　warned。　Still　greater　assurance　is　easy　to　gain；　by　examining　persons　who　know　the　girl　well　on　her　trustworthiness　and　love　of　truth　before　this　time。　If　their　statements　intensify　the　suspicion　that　menses　have　been　an　influence；　it　is　not　too　much　to　ask　directly；　to　re…examine；　and；　if　necessary；　to　call　in　medical　aid　in　order　to　ascertain　the　truth。　The　direct　question　is　in　a　characteristically　great　number　of　cases　answered　falsely。　If　in　such　cases　we　learn　that　the　observation　was　made　or　the　testimony　given　at　the　menstrual　period；　we　may　assume　it　probably　justifiable　to　suspect　great　exaggeration；　if　not　pure　invention。

The　menstrual　period　tends；　at　all　ages　from　the　youngest　child　to　the　full…grown　woman；　to　modify　the　quality　of　perception　and　the　truth　of　description。　Von　Reichenbach＇1a＇　writes　that　sensitivity　is　intensified　during　the　menstrual　period；　and　even　if　this　famous　discoverer　has　said　a　number　of　crazy　things　on　the　subject；　his　record　is　such　that　he　must　be　regarded　as　a　clever　man　and　an　excellent　observer。　There　is　no　doubt　that　his　sensitive　people　were　simply　very　nervous　individuals　who　reacted　vigorously　to　all　external　　stimulations；　and　inasmuch　as　his　views　agree　with　others；　we　may　assume　that　his　observation　shows　at　least　how　emotional；　excitable；　and　inclined　to　fine　perceptions　menstruating　women　are。　It　is　well…　known　how　sharpened　sense…perception　becomes　under　certain　conditions　of　ill…health。　Before　you　get　a　cold　in　the　head；　the　sense　of　smell　is　regularly　intensified；　certain　headaches　are　accompanied　with　an　intensification　of　hearing　so　that　we　are　disturbed　by　sounds　that　otherwise　we　should　not　hear　at　all；　every　bruised　place　on　the　body　is　very　sensitive　to　touch。　All　in　all；　we　must　believe　that　the　senses　of　woman；　especially　her　skin　sensations；　the　sensations　of　touch；　are　intensified　during　the　menstrual　period；　for　at　that　time　her　body　is　in　a　‘‘state　of　alarm。''　This　fact　is　important　in　many　ways。　It　is　not　improbable　that　one　menstruating　woman　shall　have　heard；　seen；　felt；　and　smelt；　things　which　others；　and　she　herself；　would　not　have　perceived　at　another　time。　Again；　if　we　trace　back　many　a　conception　of　menstruating　women　we　learn　that　the　boundary　between　more　delicate　sensating　and　sensibility　can　not　be　easily　drawn。　Here　we　may　see　the　universal　transition　from　sensibility　to　acute　excitability　which　is　a　source　of　many　quarrels。　The　witness；　the　wounded；　or　accused　are　all；　to　a　considerable　degree；　under　its　influence。　It　is　a　generally　familiar　fact　that　the　incomparably　larger　number　of　complaints　of　attacks　on　women's　honor；　fall　through。　It　would　be　interesting　to　know　just　how　such　complaints　of　menstruating　women　occur。　Of　course；　nobody　can　determine　this　statistically；　but　it　is　a　fact　that　such　trials　are　best　conducted；　never　exactly　four　weeks　after　the　crime；　nor　four　weeks　after　the　accusation。　For　if　most　of　the　complaints　of　menstruating　women　are　made　at　the　period　of　their　menses；　they　are　just　as　excited　four　weeks　later；　and　opposed　to　every　attempt　at　adjustment。　This　is　the　much…verified　fundamental　principle！　I　once　succeeded　by　its　use　in　helping　a　respectable；　peace…loving　citizen　of　a　small　town；　whose　wife　made　uninterrupted　complaints　of　inuriam　causa；　and　got　the　answer　that　his　wife　was　an　excellent　soul；　but；　‘‘gets　the　devil　in　her　during　her　monthlies；　and　tries　to　find　occasions　for　quarrels　with　everybody　and　finds　herself　immediately　much　insulted。''


＇1a＇　Der　sensitive　Mensch。


A　still　more　suspicious　quality　than　the　empty　capacity　for　anger　is　pointed　out　by　Lombroso；＇1＇　who　says　that　woman　during　menstruation　is　inclined　to　anger　and　to　falsification。　In　this　regard　Lombroso　may　be　correct；　inasmuch　as　the　lie　may　be　combined　　with　the　other　qualities　here　observed。　We　often　note　that　most　honorable　women　lie　in　the　most　shameless　fashion。　If　we　find　no　other　motive　and　we　know　that　the　woman　periodically　gets　into　an　abnormal　condition；　we　are　at　least　justified　in　the　presupposition　that　the　two　are　coordinate；　and　that　the　periodic　condition　is　cause　of　the　otherwise　rare　feminine　lie。　Here　also；　we　are　required　to　be　cautious；　and　if　we　hear　significant　and　not　otherwise　confirmed　assertions　from　women；　we　must　bear　in　mind　that　they　may　be　due　to　menstruation。


＇1＇　C。　Lombroso　and　G。　Ferrero。　The　Female　Offender。


But　we　may　go　still　further。　Du　Saulle＇1＇　asserts　on　the　basis　of　far…reaching　investigations；　that　a　significant　number　of　thefts　in　Parisian　shops　are　committed　frequently　by　the　most　elegant　ladies　during　their　menstrual　period；　and　this　in　no　fewer　than　35　cases　out　of　36；　while　10　more　cases　occurred　at　the　beginning　of　the　period。


＇1＇　La　Folie　devant　les　Tribunaux　Paris　1864。　　　　　Traitgale。　Paris　1873。


Other　authorities＇2＇　who　have　studied　this　matter　have　shown　how　the　presentation　of　objects　women　much　desire　leads　to　theft。　Grant　that　during　her　mensis　the　woman　is　in　a　more　excitable　and　less　actively　resisting　condition；　and　it　may　follow　she　might　be　easily　overpowered　by　the　seductive　quality　of　pretty　jewelry　and　other　knickknacks。　This　possibility　leads　us；　however；　to　remoter　conclusions。　Women　desire　more　than　merely　pretty　things；　and　are　less　able　to　resist　their　desires　during　their　periods。　If　they　are　less　able　to　resist　in　such　things；　they　are　equally　less　able　to　resist　in　other　things。　In　handling　those　thefts　which　were　formerly　called　kleptomaniac；　and　which；　in　spite　of　the　refusal　to　use　this　term；　are　undeniable；　it　is　customary；　if　they　recur　repeatedly；　to　see　whether　pregnancy　is　not　the　cause。　It　is　well　to　consider　also　the　influence　of　menstruation。


＇2＇　Les　Voleuses　des　Grands　Magazins。　Archives　d'Anthropologie　Criminelle　XVI；　1；　341　（1901）。


Menstruation　may　bring　women　even　to　the　most　terrible　crimes。　Various　authors　cite　numerous　examples　in　which　otherwise　sensible　women　have　been　driven　to　the　most　inconceivable　thingsin　many　cases　to　murder。　Certainly　such　crimes　will　be　much　more　numerous　if　the　abnormal　tendency　is　unknown　to　the　friends　of　the　woman；　who　should　watch　her　carefully　during　this　short；　dangerous　period。

The　fact　is　familiar　that　the　disturbances　of　menstruation　lead　to　abnormal　psychoses。　This　type　of　mental　disease　develops　　so　quietly　that　in　numerous　cases　the　maladies　are　overlooked；　and　hence　it　is　more　easily　possible；　since　they　are　transitive；　to　interpret　them　commonly　as　‘‘nervous　excitement；''　or　to　pay　no　attention　to　them；　although　they　need　it。＇1＇


＇1＇　A。　Schwob：　Les　Psychoses　Menstruelles　au　Point　du　Vue　Medico…legal。　Lyon；　1895。


Section　67。　（c）　Pregnancy。

We　may　speak　of　the　conditions　and　effects　of　pregnancy　very　briefly。　The　doubt　of　pregnancy　will　be　much　less　frequent　than　that　of　menstruation；　for　the　powerful　influence　of　pregnancy　on　the　psychic　life　of　woman　is　well…known；　and　it　is　hence　the　more　important　to　call　in　the　physician　in　cases　of　crimes　committed　by　pregnant　women；　or　in　cases　of　important　testimony　to　be　given　by　such　women。　But；　indeed；　the　frequently　obvious　remarkable　desires；　the　significant　conduct；　and　the　extraordinary；　often　cruel；　impulses；　which　influence　pregnant　women；　and　for　the　appearance　of　which　the　physician　is　to　be　called　in；　are　not　the　only　thing。　The　most　difficult　and　most　far…reaching　conditions　of　pregnancy　are　the　purely　psychical　ones　which　manifest　themselves　in　the　sometimes　slight；　sometimes　more　obvious　alterations　in　the　woman's　point　of　view　and　capacity　for　producing　an　event。　In　themselves　they　seem　of　little　importance；　but　they　occasion　such　a　change　in　the　attitude　of　an　individual　toward　a　happening　which　she　must　describe　to　the　judge；　that　the　change　may　cause　a　change　in　the　judgment。　I　repeat　here　also；　that　it　may　be　theoretically　said；　‘‘The　witness　must　tell　us　facts；　and　only　facts；''　but　this　is　not　really　so。　Quite　apart　from　the　fact　that　the　statement　of　any　perception　contains　a　judgment；　it　depends　also　and　always　on　the　point　of　view；　and　this　varies　with　the　emotional　state。　If；　then；　we　have　never　experienced　any　of　the　emotional　alteration　to　which　a　pregnant　woman　is　subject；　we　must　be　able　to　interpret　it　logically　in　order　to　hit　on　the　correct　thing。　We　set　aside　the　altered　somatic　conditions　of　the　mother；　the　disturbance　of　the　conditions　of　nutrition　and　circulation；　we　need　clearly　to　understand　what　it　means　to　have　assumed　care　about　a　developing　creature；　to　know　that　a　future　life　is　growing　up　fortunately　or　unfortunately；　and　is　capable　of　bringing　joy　or　sorrow；　weal　or　woe　to　its　parents。　The　woman　knows　that　her　condition　is　an　endangerment　of　her　own　life；　that　　it　brings　at　least　pains；　sufferings；　and　difficulties　（as　a　rule；　overestimated　by　the　pregnant　woman）。　Involuntarily　she　feels；　whether　she　be　educated　or　uneducated；　the　secrecy；　the　elusiveness　of　the　growing　life　she　bears；　the　life　which　is　to　come　out　into　the　world；　and　to　bring　its　mother's　into　jeopardy　thereby。　She　feels　nearer　death；　and　the　various　tendencies　which　are　attached　to　this　feeling　are　determined　by　the　nature　and　the　conditions　of　each　particular　future　mother's　sensations。　How　different　may　be　the　feeling　of　a　poor　abandoned　bride　who　is　expecting　a　child；　from　that　of　a　young　woman　who　knows　that　she　is　to　bring　into　the　world　the　eagerly…desired　heir　of　name　a