criminal psychology-第126部分

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curred　during　a　state　of　irresponsibility。

Hence；　we　can　say　only　that　intoxication　excuses　when　an　action　either　follows　directly　and　solely　as　the　reflex　expression　of　an　impulse；　or　when　the　drunkard　is　so　confused　about　the　nature　of　his　object　that　he　thinks　himself　justified　in　his　conduct。　Hence；　the　legal　expressions　（e。　g。；　‘‘complete　drunkenness''　of　Austrian　criminal　law；　and　‘‘unconsciousness''　of　the　German　imperial　criminal　statute　book）　will　in　practice　be　pushed　one　degree　higher　up　than　ordinary　usage　intends。　For　complete　intoxication　or　drunkenness　into　loss　of　consciousness　usually　means　that　condition　in　which　the　individual　lies　stiff　on　the　ground。　But　in　this　condition　he　can　not　do　anything；


＇1＇　H。　Gross's　Archiv。　II；　107。

　and　is　incapable　of　committing　a　crime。　It　must　follow　that　the　statutes　could　not　have　been　thinking　of　this；　but　of　the　condition　in　which　the　individual　is　still　active　and　able　to　commit　crimes　by　the　use　of　his　limbs；　but　absolutely　without　the　control　of　those　limbs。

If　we　compare　innumerable　stories　that　are　told；　with　verbal　reliability；　about　drunkards；　or　those　that　are　readable　in　daily　papers；　police　news；　and　in　legal　texts；　we　find　groups　in　which　a　drunkard　makes　his　bed　on　a　wintry　night　on　a　snow　bank；　undresses　himself；　carefully　folds　his　clothes　beside　him；　and　runs　away　at　the　approach　of　a　policeman；　climbs　over　a　fence　and　runs　so　fast　that　he　can　not　be　caught。　Such　a　man　certainly　has　not　only　the　use　of　his　organs；　but　also　uses　them　with　comparative　correctness　in　undressing；　folding　his　clothes；　and　in　running　away。　If　now　somebody　should　pass　the　drunkard's　lair　and　if　he　should　think　that　a　burglar　is　in　his　house　and　should　wound　the　passer…by；　who　would　believe　the　drunkard　when　he　tells　this　story？

In　the　street　there　is　frequent　opportunity　of　observing　some　of　the　arrests　of　drunkards　who　fight　with　fists　and　feet　and　teeth；　and　often　have　to　be　taken　to　the　police　station　in　a　wheel…barrow。　Now　if　the　man　has　had　the　misfortune　of　recognizing　the　policeman　in　his　first　opposition；　and　of　giving　his　own　name　properly；　we　say　that　he　has　‘‘shown　definite　signs　of　responsibility；''　and　we　sentence　him。　But　in　most　cases　it　was　merely　the　instantaneous　illumination　of　his　cindery　mind　（which　was；　perhaps；　stimulated　to　the　recognition　of　the　policeman　and　the　pronunciation　of　his　name　by　the　latter's　rather　bearish　remarks）　which　then　dies　away　as　swiftly　as　it　rose；　and　is　followed　by　instinctive　self…defense。　Anybody　who　has　frequently　observed　how　utterly　senseless　is　the　battle　of　a　drunkard　with　the　overwhelming　power　of　three　or　four　or　more　people；　and　how　he　continues　to　struggle；　even　when　wholly　or　completely　conquered；　must　feel　convinced　that　such　a　man　is　no　longer　responsible。

In　the　same　way　we　must　never　forget　that　the　prosecution　of　some　very　habitual　activity　is　in　no　sense　evidence　of　responsibility。　Especially　when　some　action　has　very　fine…drawn　limits；　and　the　actor　knows　that　a　false　grip　will　result　in　questionable　consequences；　the　habitual　movement　will　be　made　instinctively。　The　soldier　will　properly　carry　out　his　obligations　of　service；　the　coachman　drive　home；　unharness；　and　look　after　the　horses；　even　the　locomotive　engineer　will　complete　his　difficult　task　without　a　breakthen；　however；　they　fall　and　sleep　their　drunkenness　off。　Now；　if　something　intervenes　unexpectedly　during　the　performance　of　this　ha…　　bitual　activity；　especially　some　opposition；　some　superfluous　cajolement；　correction；　or　similar　thing；　the　intoxicated　actor　is　thrown　completely　out　of　gear；　and　can　not　be　restored　to　it；　nor　is　he　able　properly　to　oppose　this　obstacle。　Hence　he　acts　against　it　reflexly；　and　in　most　cases　explosively。

It　may　be　perceived　that　such　a　drunkard　works　unconsciously　having　been　thrown　out　of　gear　by　some　sudden　remark；　he　is　unable　to　complete　what　he　is　trying　to　do；　and　this　develops　a　despairing　expression　of　emotion　for　which　he　is　decidedly　not　responsible。　A　countless　number　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　emoti