THE JUKES. 99 



call want of perseverance, we are justified by the highest medical 

 { authorities in saying that we thus get a series of social phenomena 

 Lwhich are primarily physiological conditions. The physical dis- 

 abilities which arrest the orderly growth of the body produce in the 

 course of years a fitful character, partaking of the defects of the 

 constitutional temperament which, because it is temperamental, 

 dominates the habits of thought, of action and of sensation, and 

 gives to the moral nature a vacillating form identical to its own 

 spasmodic development. In this way the unfortunate victim un- 

 consciously feels that continuous effort is the direction of greatest 

 resistance, and falls into the position of a procrastinating and inef- 

 ficient ne'er-do-weel if he escapes contaminating associations, or 

 becomes an habitual criminal if he fall among thieves. 



In discussing the importance and bearing of disease on the for- 

 mation of industrial habits, the more remote causes and cure of 

 criminal tendencies are being anticipated. Nor must the inference 

 be drawn that, because it is of very great importance, it is the only 

 cause for this defect of industrial aptitude ; there are two others of 

 at least equal prominence. The first is one which is at the basis 

 of all civilization, and without which it would be impossible j it is 

 that desire of the human race to secure the largest returns of enjoy- 

 ment for the least expenditure of effort, and has led to the introduc- 

 tion of all the labor-saving machinery which so much multiplies our 

 enjoyments. The other is education, which is capable of counteract- 

 ing the effects of a defective physical organization, by correcting it 

 through the formation of habits of regular application, which them- 

 selves react upon the vacillating temperament and contribute to the 

 more healthy operation of the physical functions. We have here, 

 then, three prime causes, which are so related to each other that we 

 must reject the implication that, because a man has a defective 

 physical organization, therefore he is necessarily irresponsible for 

 his acts. That the insane are often irresponsible is true ; it is no 

 less true that they commit criminal acts which are referrible only to 

 physical disease ; but it is by no means true of the persons who are 

 now under discussion. 



Habitual criminals. — If we should rely upon the official figures 

 to determine the ratio of habitual criminals, we should find they are 



