criminal psychology-第76章

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at　of　a　young　woman　who　knows　that　she　is　to　bring　into　the　world　the　eagerly…desired　heir　of　name　and　fortune。　Consider　the　difference　between　the　feeling　of　a　sickly　proletarian；　richly　blessed　with　children；　who　knows　that　the　new　child　is　an　unwelcome　superfluity　whose　birth　may　perhaps　rob　the　other　helpless　children　of　their　mother；　with　the　feeling　of　a　comfortable；　thoroughly　healthy　woman；　who　finds　no　difference　between　having　three　or　having　four　children。

And　if　these　feelings　are　various；　must　they　not　be　so　intense　and　so　far…reaching　as　to　influence　the　attitude　of　the　woman　toward　some　event　she　has　observed？　It　may　be　objected　that　the　subjective　attitude　of　a　witness　will　never　influence　a　judge；　who　can　easily　discover　the　objective　truth　in　the　one…sided　observation　of　an　event。　But　let　us　not　deceive　ourselves；　let　us　take　things　as　they　are。　Subjective　attitude　may　become　objective　falsehood　in　spite　of　the　best　endeavor　of　the　witness；　and　the　examiner　may　fail　altogether　to　distinguish　between　what　is　truth　and　what　poetry。　Further；　in　many　instances　the　witness　must　be　questioned　with　regard　to　the　impression　the　event　made　on　her。　Particularly；　if　the　event　can　not　be　described　in　words。

We　must　ask　whether　the　witness's　impression　was　that　an　attack　was　dangerous；　a　threat　serious；　a　blackmail　conceivable；　a　brawl　intentional；　a　gesture　insulting；　an　assault　premeditated。　In　these；　and　thousands　of　other　cases；　we　must　know　the　point　of　view；　and　are　compelled　to　draw　our　deductions　from　it。　And　finally；　who　of　us　believes　himself　to　be　altogether　immune　to　emotional　induction？　The　witness　describes　us　the　event　in　definite　tones　which　are　echoed　to　us。　If　there　are　other　witnesses　the　incomplete　view　may　be　corrected；　but　if　there　is　only　one　witness；　or　one　whom　for　some　reason　we　believe　more　than　others；　or　if　there　are　several；　but　equally…　trusted　witnesses；　the　condition；　view…point；　and　‘‘fact；''　remain　inadequate　in　us。　Whoever　has　before　him　a　pregnant　woman　with　　her　impressions　altered　in　a　thousand　ways；　may　therefore　well　be　‘‘up　in　the　air！''＇1＇


＇1＇　Neumann：　Einfluss　der　Sehwangerschaft。　Siebold's　Journal　f。　Geburtshilfe。　Vol。　II。　　　　　Hoffbauer：　Die　Gelste　der　Schwangeren。　Archiv　f。　Kriminalrecht。　Vol。　I。　1817。


The　older　literature　which　develops　an　elaborate　casuistic　concerning　cases　in　which　pregnant　women　exhibited　especial　desires；　or　abnormal　changes　in　their　perceptions　and　expressions；　is　in　many　directions　of　considerable　importance。　We　must；　however；　remember　that　the　old　observations　are　rarely　exact　and　were　always　made　with　less　knowledge　than　we　nowadays　possess。


Section　68。　（d）　Erotic。

A　question　which　is　as　frequent　as　it　is　idle；　concerns　the　degree　of　sexual　impulse　in　woman。　It　is　important　for　the　lawyer　to　know　something　about　this；　of　course；　for　many　a　sexual　crime　may　be　more　properly　judged　if　it　is　known　how　far　the　woman　encouraged　the　man；　and　in　similar　cases　the　knowledge　might　help　us　to　presume　what　attitude　feminine　witnesses　might　take　toward　the　matter。　First　of　all；　the　needs　of　individual　women　are　as　different　as　those　of　individual　men；　and　as　varied　as　the　need　for　food；　drink；　warmth；　rest；　and　a　hundred　other　animal　requirements。　We　shall　be　unable　to　find　any　standard　by　determining　even　an　average。　It　is　useless　to　say　that　sexual　sensibility　is　less　in　woman　than　in　man；　because　specialists　contradict　each　other　on　this　matter。　We　are　not　aided　either　by　Sergi's＇2＇　assertion；　that　the　sensibility　is　less　than　the　irritability　in　woman；　or　by　Mantegazza's　statement；　that　women　rarely　have　such　powerful　sexual　desire　that　it　causes　them　pain。　We　can　learn　here；　also；　only　by　means　of　the　interpretation　of　good　particular　observations。　When；　for　example；　the　Italian　positivists　repeatedly　assert　that　woman　is　less　erotic　and　more　sexual；　they　mean　that　man　cares　more　about　the　satisfaction　of　the　sexual　impulse；　woman　about　the　maternal　instinct。　This　piece　of　information　may　help　us　to　explain　some　cases；　at　least　we　shall　understand　many　a　girl's　mistake　without　needing　immediately　to　presuppose　rape；　seduction　by　means　of　promises　of　marriage；　etc。　Once　we　have　in　mind　soberly　what　fruits　dishonor　brings　to　a　girl；scorn　and　shame；　the　difficulties　of　pregnancy；　alienation　from　relatives；　perhaps　even　banish…　　ment　from　the　paternal　home；　perhaps　the　loss　of　a　good　position；　then　the　pains　and　sorrows　of　child…birth；　care　of　the　child；　reduction　of　earnings；　difficulties　and　troubles　with　the　child；　difficulties　in　going　about；　less　prospect　of　care　through　wedlock；　these　are　of　such　extraordinary　weight；　that　it　is　impossible　to　adduce　so　elementary　a　force　to　the　sexual　impulse　as　to　enable　it　to　veil　the　outlook　upon　this　outcome　of　its　satisfaction。


＇2＇　Archivio　di　Psichiatria。　1892。　Vol。　XIII。


The　well…known　Viennese　gynaecologist；　Braun；　said；　‘‘If　it　were　naturally　so　arranged　that　in　every　wedlock　man　must　bear　the　second　child；　there　would　be　no　more　than　three　children　in　any　family。''　His　intention　is；　that　even　if　the　woman　agrees　to　have　the　third　child；　the　man　would　be　so　frightened　at　the　pains　of　the　first　child…birth　that　he　never　again　would　permit　himself　to　bear　another。　As　we　can　hardly　say　that　we　have　any　reason　for　asserting　that　the　sexual　needs　of　woman　are　essentially　greater；　or　that　woman　is　better　able　to　bear　more　pain　than　man；　we　are　compelled　to　believe　that　there　must　be　in　woman　an　impulse　lacking　in　man。　This　impulse　must　be　supposed　to　be　so　powerful　that　it　subdues；　let　us　say　briefly；　all　the　fear　of　an　illegitimate　or　otherwise　undesirable　child…birth；　and　this　is　the　impulse　we　mean　by　sexuality；　by　the　maternal　instinct。

It　would　seem　as　if　nature；　at　least　in　isolated　cases；　desires　to　confirm　this　view。　According　to　Icard　there　are　women　who　have　children　simply　for　the　pleasure　of　suckling　them；　the　suckling　being　a　pleasant　sensation。　If；　now；　nature　has　produced　a　sexual　impulse　purely　for　the　sake　of　preserving　the　species；　she　has　given　fuller　expression　to　sexuality　and　the　maternal　instinct　when　she　has　endowed　it　with　an　especial　impulse　in　at　least　a　few　definite　cases。　This　impulse　will　explain　to　the　criminalist　a　large　number　of　phenomena；　especially　the　accommodation　of　woman　to　man's　desires；　and　from　this　along　he　may　deduce　a　number　of　otherwise　difficultly　explainable　psychical　phenomena。

There　is；　of　course；　a　series　of　facts　which　deny　the　existence　of　this　impulsebut　they　only　seem　to。　Child…murder；　the　very　frequent　cruelty　of　mothers　to　their　children；　the　opposition　of　very　young　women　to　bearing　and　bringing　up　children　（cf。　the　educated　among　French　and　American　women）；　and　similar　phenomena　seem　to　speak　against　the　maternal　instinct。　We　must　not　forget；　however；　that　all　impulses　come　to　an　end　where　the　opposed　impulse　becomes　stronger；　and　that　under　given　circumstances　even　the　most　powerful　impulse；　that　of　self…preservation；　may　be　opposed。　All　actions　of　　despair；　tearing　the　beard；　beating　hands　and　feet　together；　rage　at　one's　own　health；　and　finally　suicide　may　ensue。　If　the　mother　kills　her　own　child；　this　action　belongs　to　the　same　series　as　self…damage　through　despair。　The　more　orderly　and　numerous　actions　and　feelings　in　this　direction；　e。　g。；　the　disinclination　of　women　toward　bearing　children；　may　be　explained　also　by　the　fact　that　it　is　the　consequence　of　definite　conditions　of　civilization。　If　we　recall　what　unnatural；　senseless；　and　half　crazy　habits　with　regard　to　nutrition；　dressing；　social　adjustments；　etc。；　civilization　and　fashion　have　forced　upon　us；　we　do　not　need　to　adduce　real　perversity　in　order　to　understand　how　desire　for　comfort；　how　laziness　and　the　scramble　for　wealth　lead　to　suppression　of　the　maternal　instinct。　This　may　also　be　called　degeneration。　There　are　still　other　less　important　circumstances　that　seem　to　speak　against　the　maternal　instinct。　These　consist　primarily　in　the　fact　that　the　sexual　impulse　endures　to　a　time　when　the　mother　is　no　longer　young　enough　to　bear　a　child。　We　know　that　the　first　gray　hair　in　no　sense　indicates　the　last　lover；　and　according　to　Tait；　a　period　of　powerful　sex…impulsion　ensues　directly　after　the　climacterium。　Now　of　what　use；　so　far　as　child…birth　is　concerned；　can　such　an　impulse　be？

But　because　natural　instincts　endure　beyond　their　period　of　purposive　efficiency；　it　does　not　follow　that　they　are　unconnected　with　that　efficiency；　we　eat　and　drink　also　when　the　food　is　superfluous　as　nourishment。　Wonderfully　as　nature　has　adjusted　the　instincts　and　functions　to　definite　purposes；　she　still　has　at　no　point　drawn　fixed　boundaries　and　actually　destroyed　her　instrument　where　the　need　for　it　ceased。　Just　because　nature　is　elsewhere　parsimonious；　she　seems　frequently　extravagant；　yet　that　extravagance　is　the　cheapest　means　of　attaining　the　necessary　end。　Thus；　when　woman's　passion　is　no　longer　required　for　the　function　of　motherhood；　its　impulsion　may　yet　be　counted　on　for　the　psychological　explanation　of　more　than　one　criminal　event。

What　is　important；　is　to　count　the　maternal　instinct　as　a　factor　in　criminal　situations。　If　we　have　done　so；　we　find　explanations　not　only　of　sexual　impropriety；　but　of　the　more　subtle　questions　of　the　more　or　less　pure　relation　between　husband　and　wife。　What　attitude　the　woman　takes　toward　her　husband　and　children；　what　she　demands　of　them；　what　she　sacrifices　for　them；　what　makes　it　possible　for　her　to　endure　an　apparently　unendurable　situation；　what；　again；　undermines　directly　and　suddenly；　in　spite　of　seemingly　small　value；　her　courage　in　life；these　are　all　conditions　which　　appear　in　countless　processes　as　the　distinguishing　and　explaining　elements；　and　they　are　to　be　understood　in　the　single　term；　‘‘maternal　instinct。''　For　a　long　time　the　inexplicability　of　love　and　sexual　impulse　were　offered　as　excuses；　but　these　otherwise　mighty　factors　had　to　be　assigned　such　remarkable　and　self…contradictory　aspects　that　only　one　confusion　was　added　to　another　and　called　explanation。　Now　suppose　we　try　to　explain　them　by　means　of　the　maternal　instinct。


Section　69。　（e）　Submerged　Sexual　Factors。

The　criminal　psychologist　finds　difficulties　where　hidden　impulses　are　at　work　without　seeming　to　have　any　relation　to　their　results。　In　such　cases　the　starting…point　for　explanation　is　sought　in　the　wrong　direction。　I　say　starting…point；　because　‘‘motive''　must　be　conscious；　and　‘‘ground''　might　be　misunderstood。　We　know　of　countless　criminal　cases　which　we　face　powerless　because　we　do　indeed　know　the　criminal　but　are　unable　to　explain　the　causal　connection　between　him　and　the　crime；　or　because；　again；　we　do　not　know　the　criminal；　and　judge　from　the　facts　that　we　might　have　gotten　a　clew　if　we　had　understood　the　psychological　development　of　the　crime。　If　we　seek　for　‘‘grounds；''　we　may　possibly　think　of　so　many　of　them　as　never　to　approach　the　right　one；　if　we　seek　motives；　we　may　be　far　misled　because　we　are　able　only　to　bring　the　criminal　into　connection　with　his　success；　a　matter　which　he　must　have　had　in　mind　from　the　beginning。　It　is　ever　easy　for　us　when　motive　and　crime　are　in　open　connection：　greed；　theft；　revenge；