Southern Medical and Surgical Journal - Georgia Regents University

——1858.] Insanity connected with alleged Criminal Acts. 1#7In the case of this patient, the nerve was enlarged, very vascular,thickened and red. Two inches of the nerve were remcved.[ American Jour, of Med. Sciences.The Lancet, (Dec. 19th,) is rather severe upon Lawyers, oilaccount of their ignorance concerning insanity. Hear what theeditor says [American Med Monthly.:"On Monday evening, Dr. Forbes Winslow read his paperbefore the Juridical Society,. " On the Legal Doctrines of Kes--possibility in Cases of Insanity connected with alleged CriminalActs.'* There was a much larger attendance at the meeting thanusual,- the Vice-Chancellor Sir John Stuart being in the chair,and amongst the members present was Mr. Bramwell, as wellas many of the most distinguished members of the bar. This isthe first time that the attention of lawyers has been directed tothis important subject by means of a paper written by a medicalman,- and communicated to a legal society in which free discus*sion is permitted;- and we cannot but rejoice that a Way has atlast been opened whereby the views entertained by the medicalprofession upon what ought to be the legal responsibilities ofthe insane can be distinctly enunciated and tested by that "touch'stone of truth," oral discussion. We look upon the proceedingsof Monday night as constituting an era in the history ofcriminal jurisprudence, and we venture to predict that when afew more such papers shall have been read and discussed at theJuridical Society, it will be impossible for that body to listenwith common patience to views to which Mr. Baron Bramwellgave utterance in the course of the debate on Monday. Wehave always believed that the great differences existing betweenthe doctrines of lawyers and medical men on these subjects dependedchiefly on the want of practical acquaintance with insanityunder which the former labor ; but we confess we wereunprepared for the appalling ignorance of the first principles ofmoral and mental philosophy which was displayed by a lawyerwho has within the last two years been deemed worthy of elevationto the bench. In reference to Dr. Winslow's remarks onthe distinction between the intellectual and moral feelings, Mr.Baron Bramwell positively declared that, "for his pari, he doubtedthe existence of moral faculties, or a moral sense /" We areacquainted with another learned judge who, on being asked toread a well-known medical work on Criminal Insanity, absolutelydeclined to do so, stating that he never read anything ofthe sort, and in fact rejoiced in his ignorance. With such materialsto work upon, progress must necessarily be slow, but itwill be sure; and the time is not far distant when the judges