criminal psychology-第14章

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Now　this　exciting　gesticulation　can　be　very　easily　observed；　but　the　observation　must　not　come　too　late。　If　the　witness　is　once　quite　lost　in　it　and　sufficiently　excited　by　the　concomitant　speeches　he　will　make　his　gestures　well　and　naturally　and　the　artificial　and　untrue　will　not　be　discoverable。　But　this　is　not　the　case　in　the　beginning；　then　his　gestures　are　actually　not　skilful；　and　at　that　point　a　definite　force　of　will　and　rather　notable　exaggerations　are　observable；　the　gestures　go　further　than　the　words；　and　that　is　a　matter　not　difficult　to　recognize。　As　soon　as　the　recognition　is　made　it　becomes　necessary　to　examine　whether　a　certain　congruity　invariably　manifests　itself　between　word　and　gesture；　inasmuch　as　with　many　people　the　above…mentioned　lack　of　congruity　is　habitual　and　honest。　This　is　particularly　the　case　with　people　who　are　somewhat　theatrical　and　hence　gesticulate　too　much。　But　if　word　and　gesture　soon　conform　one　to　another；　especially　after　a　rather　lively　presentation；　you　may　be　certain　that　the　subject　has　skilfully　worked　himself　into　his　alarm　or　whatever　it　is　he　wanted　to　manifest。　Quite　apart　from　the　importance　of　seeing　such　a　matter　clearly　the　interest　of　the　work　is　a　rich　reward　for　the　labor　involved。

In　close　relation　to　these　phenomena　is　the　change　of　color　to　　which　unfortunately　great　importance　is　often　assigned。＇1＇　In　this　regard　paling　has　received　less　general　attention　because　it　is　more　rare　and　less　suspicious。　That　it　can　not　be　simulated；　as　is　frequently　asserted　in　discussions　of　simulation　（especially　of　epilepsy）；　is　not　true；　inasmuch　as　there　exists　an　especial　physiological　process　which　succeeds　in　causing　pallor　artificially。　In　that　experiment　the　chest　is　very　forcibly　contracted；　the　glottis　is　closed　and　the　muscles　used　in　inspiration　are　contracted。　This　matter　has　no　practical　value　for　us；　on　the　one　hand；　because　the　trick　is　always　involved　with　lively　and　obvious　efforts；　and　on　the　other；　because　cases　are　hardly　thinkable　in　which　a　man　will　produce　artificial　pallor　in　the　court　where　it　can　not　be　of　any　use　to　him。　The　one　possibility　of　use　is　in　the　simulation　of　epilepsy；　and　in　such　a　case　the　trick　can　not　be　played　because　of　the　necessary　falling　to　the　ground。

Paling　depends；　as　is　well　known；　on　the　cramp　of　the　muscles　of　the　veins；　which　contract　and　so　cause　a　narrowing　of　their　bore　which　hinders　the　flow　of　blood。　But　such　cramps　happen　only　in　cases　of　considerable　anger；　fear；　pain；　trepidation；　rage；　in　short；　in　cases　of　excitement　that　nobody　ever　has　reason　to　simulate。　Paling　has　no　value　in　differentiation　inasmuch　as　a　man　might　grow　pale　in　the　face　through　fear　of　being　unmasked　or　in　rage　at　unjust　suspicion。

The　same　thing　is　true　about　blushing。＇2＇　It　consists　in　a　sort　of　transitory　crippling　of　those　nerves　that　end　in　the　walls　of　small　arteries。　This　causes　the　relaxation　of　the　muscle…fibers　of　the　blood　vessels　which　are　consequently　filled　in　a　greater　degree　with　blood。　Blushing　also　may　be　voluntarily　created　by　some　individuals。　In　that　case　the　chest　is　fully　expanded；　the　glottis　is　closed　and　the　muscles　of　expiration　are　contracted。　But　this　matter　again　has　no　particular　value　for　us　since　the　simulation　of　a　blush　is　at　most　of　use　only　when　a　woman　wants　to　appear　quite　modest　and　moral。　But　for　that　effect　artificial　blushing　does　not　help；　since　it　requires　such　intense　effort　as　to　be　immediately　noticeable。　Blushing　by　means　of　external　assistance；　e。　g。；　inhaling　certain　chemicals；　is　a　thing　hardly　anybody　will　want　to　perform　before　the　court。

With　regard　to　guilt　or　innocence；　blushing　offers　no　evidence　whatever。　There　is　a　great　troop　of　people　who　blush　without　any

＇1＇　E。　Claparde：　L'obsession　de　la　rougeur。　Arch。　de　Psych。　de　la　Suisse　Romande；　1902；　I；　307

＇2＇　Henle：　ber　das　Errten。　Breslau　1882。

　reason　for　feeling　guilty。　The　most　instructive　thing　in　this　matter　is　self…observation；　and　whoever　recalls　the　cause　of　his　own　blushing　will　value　the　phenomenon　lightly　enough。　I　myself　belonged；　not　only　as　a　child；　but　also　long　after　my　student　days；　to　those　unfortunates　who　grow　fire…red　quite　without　reason；　I　needed　only　to　hear　of　some　shameful　deed；　of　theft；　robbery；　murder；　and　I　would　get　so　red　that　a　spectator　might　believe　that　I　was　one　of　the　criminals。　In　my　native　city　there　was　an　old　maid　who　had；　I　knew　even　as　a　boy；　remained　single　because　of　unrequited　love　of　my　grandfather。　She　seemed　to　me　a　very　poetical　figure　and　once　when　her　really　magnificent　ugliness　was　discussed；　I　took　up　her　cause　and　declared　her　to　be　not　so　bad。　My　taste　was　laughed　at；　and　since　then；　whenever　this　lady　or　the　street　she　lives　in　or　even　her　furs　（she　used　to　have　pleasure　in　wearing　costly　furs）　were　spoken　of；　I　would　blush。　And　her　age　may　be　estimated　from　her　calf…love。　Now　what　has　occurred　to　me；　often　painfully；　happens　to　numbers　of　people；　and　it　is　hence　inconceivable　why　forensic　value　is　still　frequently　assigned　to　blushing。　At　the　same　time　there　are　a　few　cases　in　which　blushing　may　be　important。

The　matter　is　interesting　even　though　we　know　nothing　about　the　intrinsic　inner　process　which　leads　to　the　influence　on　the　nervous　filaments。　Blushing　occurs　all　the　world　over；　and　its　occasion　and　process　is　the　same　among　savages　as　among　us。＇1＇　The　same　events　may　be　observed　whether　we　compare　the　flush　of　educated　or　uneducated。　There　is　the　notion；　which　I　believed　for　a　long　time；　that　blushing　occurs　among　educated　people　and　is　especially　rare　among　peasants；　but　that　does　not　seem　to　be　true。　Working　people；　especially　those　who　are　out　in　the　open　a　good　deal；　have　a　tougher　pigmentation　and　a　browner　skin；　so　that　their　flush　is　less　obvious。　But　it　occurs　as　often　and　under　the　same　conditions　as　among　others。　It　might　be　said　for　the　same　reason　that　Gypsies　never　blush；　and　of　course；　that　the　blush　may　be　rarer　among　people　lacking　in　shame　and　a　sense　of　honor　is　conceivable。　Yet　everybody　who　has　much　to　do　with　Gypsies　asserts　that　the　blush　may　be　observed　among　them。

Concerning　the　relation　of　the　blush　to　age；　Darwin　says　that　early　childhood　knows　nothing　about　blushing。　It　happens　in　youth　more　frequently　than　in　old　age；　and　oftener　among　women　than　among　men。　Idiots　blush　seldom；　blind　people　and　hereditary　albinos；　a　great　deal。　The　somatic　process　of　blushing　is；　as　Darwin

＇1＇　Th。　Waitz：　Anthropologie　der　Naturvlker　（Pt。　I）。　Leipzig　1859。

　shows；　quite　remarkable。　Almost　always　the　blush　is　preceded　by　a　quick　contraction　of　the　eyelids　as　if　to　prevent　the　rise　of　the　blood　in　the　eyes。　After　that；　in　most　cases；　the　eyes　are　dropped；　even　when　the　cause　of　blushing　is　anger　or　vexation；　finally　the　blush　rises；　in　most　cases　irregularly　and　in　spots；　at　last　to　cover　the　skin　uniformly。　If　you　want　to　save　the　witness　his　blush　you　can　do　it　only　at　the　beginningduring　the　movement　of　the　eyes　and　only　by　taking　no　notice　of　it；　by　not　looking　at　him；　and　going　right　on　with　your　remarks。　This　incidentally　is　valuable　inasmuch　as　many　people　are　much　confused　by　blushing　and　really　do　not　know　what　they　are　talking　about　while　doing　it。　There　is　no　third　thing　which　is　the　cause　of　the　blush　and　of　the　confusion；　the　blush　itself　is　the　cause　of　the　confusion。　This　may　be　indubitably　confirmed　by　anybody　who　has　the　agreeable　property　of　blushing　and　therefore　is　of　some　experience　in　the　matter。　I　should　never　dare　to　make　capital　of　any　statement　made　during　the　blush。　Friedreich　calls　attention　to　the　fact　that　people　who　are　for　the　first　time　subject　to　the　procedure　of　the　law　courts　blush　and　lose　color　more　easily　than　such　as　are　accustomed　to　it；　so　that　the　unaccustomed　scene　also　contributes　to　the　confusion。　Meynert＇1＇　states　the　matter　explicitly：　‘‘The　blush　always　depends　upon　a　far…reaching　association…　process　in　which　the　complete　saturation　of　the　contemporaneously…　excited　nervous　elements　constricts　the　orderly　movement　of　the　mental　process；　inasmuch　as　here　also　the　simplicity　of　contemporaneously…occurring　activities　of　the　brain　determines　the　scope　of　the　function　of　association。''　How　convincing　this　definition　is　becomes　clear　on　considering　the　processes　in　question。　Let　us　think　of　some　person　accused　of　a　crime　to　whom　the　ground　of　accusation　is　presented　for　the　first　time；　and　to　whom　the　judge　after　that　presents　the　skilfully　constructed　proof　of　his　guilt　by　means　of　individual　bits　of　evidence。　Now　think　of　the　mass　of　thoughts　here　excited；　even　if　the　accused　is　innocent。　The　deed　itself　is　foreign　to　him；　he　must　imagine　that；　should　any　relation　to　it　（e。　g。　presence　at　the　place　where　the　deed　was　done；　interest　in　it；　ownership　of　the　object；　etc。）　be　present　to　his　mind；　he　must　become　clear　concerning　this　relationship；　while　at　the　same　time　the　possibilities　of　excusealibi；　ownership　of　the　thing；　etc。storm　upon　him。　Then　only　does　he　consider　the　particular　reasons　of　suspicion　which　he　must；　in　some　degree；　incarnate　and　represent　in　their　dangerous　character；　and　for　each　of

＇1＇　Th。　Meynert：　Psychiatry。　Vienna　1884。

　which　he　must　find　a　separate　excuse。　We　have　here　some　several　dozens　of　thought…series；　which　start　their　movement　at　the　same　time　and　through　each　other。　If　at　that　time　an　especially　dangerous　apparent　proof　is　brought；　and　if　the　accused；　recognizing　this　danger；　blushes　with　fear；　the　examiner　thinks：　‘‘Now　I　have　caught　the　rascal；　for　he's　blushing！　Now　let's　go　ahead　quickly；　speed　the　examination　and　enter　the　confused　answer　in　the　protocol！　‘‘And　who　believes　the　accused　when；　later　on；　he　withdraws　the　‘‘confession''　and　asserts　that　he　had　said　the　thing　because　they　had　mixed　him　up？

In　this　notion；　‘‘you　blush；　therefore　you　have　lied；　you　did　it！''　lie　many　sins　the　commission　of　which　is　begun　at　the　time　of　admonishing　little　children　and　ended　with　obtaining　the　‘‘confessions''　of　the　murderous　thief。

Finally；　it　is　not　to　be　forgotten　that　there　are　cases　of　blushing　which　have　nothing　to　do　with　psychical　processes。　Ludwig　Meyer＇1＇　calls　it　‘‘artificial　blushing''　（better；　‘‘mechanically　developed　blushing''）；　and　narrates　the　case　of　‘‘easily…irritated　women　who　could　develop　a　blush　with　the　least　touch　of　friction；　e。　g。；　of　the　face　on　a　pillow；　rubbing　with　the　hand；　etc。；　and　this　blush　could　not　be　distinguished　from　the　ordinary　blush。''　We　may　easily　consider　that　such　lightly　irritable　women　may　be　accused；　come　before　the　court　without　being　recognized　as　such；　and；　for　example；　cover　their　faces　with　their　hands　and　blush。　Then　the　thing　might　be　called　‘‘evidential。''


Section　12。　（b）　General　Signs　of　Character。


Friedrich　Gerstcker；　in　one　of　his　most　delightful　moods；　says　somewhere　that　the　best　characteristicon　of　a　man　is　how　he　wears　his　hat。　If　he　wears　it　perpendicular；　he　is　honest；　pedantic　and　boresome。　If　he　wears　it　tipped　slightly；　he　belongs　to　the　best　and　most　interesting　people；　is　nimble…witted　and　pleasant。　A　deeply　tipped　hat　indicates　frivolity　and　obstinate　imperious　nature。　A　hat　worn　on　the　back　of　the　head　signifies　improvidence；　easiness；　conce