On medico-psychological evidence and the plea of insanity in courts of law : being portion of an introductory lecture to a course on mental diseases, with clinical instruction, delivered in connection with the Royal Infirmary School of Medicine / by Alexander Robertson.

  • Robertson, Alexander.
Date:
[1877]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On medico-psychological evidence and the plea of insanity in courts of law : being portion of an introductory lecture to a course on mental diseases, with clinical instruction, delivered in connection with the Royal Infirmary School of Medicine / by Alexander Robertson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    more ready to express himself freely and unreservedly than when any of the officials or another medical practitioner is in the room. Perhaps, however, the agent on the side with which you are associated may require you to make one ex- amination cod jointly with other medical witnesses on the same side, so as to insure as great a uniformity of opinion as possible. In any doubtful case it is desirable to visit the prisoner unexpectedly, late in the evening or at night. It sometimes happens that insanity, which can scarcely be detected during the day, is quite obvious at night. A female patient at present under my care is a good illustration of this condition. During the day she is usually calm and nearly rational, but after about nine or ten at night she becomes excited and talks aloud, maintaining a conversation with herself, just as if some one were beside her, though there is no one there. I have often stood outside her bed- room and listened to these conversations. Questions are put and answers given in two different tones of voice, the one being deep and masculine, the other feminine but much shriller than her own natural voice. Both voices always maintain their respective individualities in this nightly drama. In alcoholic insanity this nocturnal exacerbation is occasionally very marked. The hallucinations of sight and hearing which are so characteristic of it may scarcely, and even not at all, trouble the patient during the day, but when night comes, and particularly if he be alone, they may assume a most vivid reality and prompt to dangerous action, either suicidal or homicidal, or both. In almost all cases notes should be taken of the exact replies of the prisoner to your questions at the time of ex- amination ; it may be important to quote his own language in the report of the case you may be asked to draw out, or at the trial. Your inquiries should extend over his whole career and include what we may call the medical history of the family to which he belongs, with a view to ascertain whether there exists a hereditary tendency to insanity or other of the neuroses. Particular search should be made after epilepsy, as sometimes the fits occur at night, or in the