268 ROUGH WAYS MADE SMOOTH. 



the morning with no recollection of the events of the past 

 night, finds himself in gaol for some crime committed during 

 that time, although he may think the punishment he has to 

 endure severe measure for a crime of which in his ordinary 

 condition he is incapable, knows at least that he is respon- 

 sible for placing himself under that influence which made 

 the crime possible. Supposing even he had not had suf- 

 ficient experience of his own character when under the 

 influence of liquor, to have reason to fear he might be guilty 

 of the ofTence, he yet perceives that to make intoxication 

 under any circumstances an excuse for crime would be most 

 dangerous to the community, and that he suffers punishment 

 justly. But the case of dual consciousness is altogether 

 different, and certainly where responsibility exists under both 

 conditions, while yet impulse and the restraining power of 

 will are differently related in one and the other condition, 

 the problem of satisfying justice is a most perplexing one. 

 Here are in effect two different persons residing in one 

 body, and it is impossible to punish one without punishing 

 the other also. Supposing justice waited until the abnormal 

 condition was resumed, then the offender would probably 

 recognise the justice of punishment ; but if the effects of 

 the punishment continued until the usual condition returned, 

 a person would suffer who was conscious of no crime. If 

 the offence were murder, and if capital punishment were 

 inflicted, the ordinary individuality, innocent entirely of 

 murder, would be extinguished along with the first, a mani- 

 fest injustice. As Huxley says of a similar case, ' the 

 problem of responsibility is here as complicated as that of 

 the prince-bishop, who swore as a prince and not as a 

 bishop. ' But, your highness, if the prince is damned, what 

 will become of the bishop? ' said the peasant.' 1 



1 Should any doubt whether these conditions of dual existence are 

 a reality (a doubt, however, which the next case dealt with in the text 

 should remove), we would remind them that a similar difficulty 

 unmistakably existed in the case of Eng and Chang, the Siamese twins. 

 It would have been almost impossible to inflict any punishment on one 



