460 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



An answer to this question was sought in the following cases : 



First. An inebriate shot and killed his partner while under 

 the influence of spirits. At the station house, soon after, he made 

 a confession, which reflected very severely on him. On the trial 

 the statement of the crime was not sustained, but contradicted in 

 many ways. 



Second. A man was found drowned, and a drinking friend 

 confessed to have pushed him into the water while in a state 

 of intoxication. This confession was clear in its details, and he 

 seemed very earnest and contrite. It was accepted as true, and 

 he was sentenced to prison for life. Subsequently it was found 

 that the drowning was accidental, and the confessed murderer 

 was miles away sleeping at this time, suffering from alcoholic 

 stupor. A few hours later he came to the scene of the drown- 

 ing, and at once came to the conclusion that he had committed 

 the crime. 



A third case was that of a man who, after drinking all the 

 evening in a saloon, saw on his way home after midnight a dead- 

 ly encounter with a burglar in the hall of a house he was pass- 

 ing. He was taken to the station house and, after a series of 

 questioning, identified the burglar, and swore to many details of 

 the crime. This was found to be untrue, although he adhered 

 very closely to the details and urged their truthfulness. In real- 

 ity he had been told what he saw by the officer, whose suggestive 

 questions made up the entire statement. 



The medical questions in these cases were answered from the 

 assumption that the use of alcohol, unless to stupor, does not im- 

 pair the senses and reason on matters that concern the personal 

 acts and conduct. It was assumed that any statements or con- 

 fessions of crime that did not peril the freedom and safety of the 

 man could have no other motive except that of the promptings of 

 a wounded consciousness to repair the injury. It was assumed 

 that no man under the influence of spirits, not stupidly intoxi- 

 cated, would ever confess to acts not committed, or ever delude 

 himself with such impressions, especially as at this time the brain 

 was in a state of increased activity. All these assumptions were 

 wrong, and contradicted by the facts. The man under the influ- 

 ence of spirits is always semiparalyzed ; his brain is in a con- 

 fused state, and never guided or controlled by natural, healthy 

 motives; his senses and judgment are weakened, and the repeti- 

 tion of any statement which may impress him may soon seem a 

 reality which he is never able to correct. His mind is open to 

 all sorts of morbid impressions which quickly appear like realities. 



In the lower courts these special phases of brain palsies are 

 seen in the confessions and sworn statements of acts and events 

 observed that are often found to be absolutely false. The conclu- 



