Notes of medico-legal cases : with comments / by John Crawford.

  • Crawford, John (fl. 1850)
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notes of medico-legal cases : with comments / by John Crawford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    which I have since understood to have been correct; true or false however, they were evidently no delusions. Not a shadow of c e V*SI°n? inc]ee(^ existed in her mind. For having thus gained her confidence, 1 no longer found her so reserved, i got a pretty full account of her usual mode of life and avocations, and the conclu- sion 1 came to was, that while she was undoubtedly somewhat weak m mind and had led an idle, good-for-nothing life, she had none oi that deficiency of memory which she had at first affected, and perfectly comprehended her position as a criminal, although as was not unnatural in such an ignorant person, she probably exaggerated the punishment which, if convicted, she would incur hour days subsequently, I visited her a third time. I had, on my previous visit, written down in her presence her statements as to her former places of residence. I again interrogated her on that point, and found her answers in all respects tally with her former account. She was, on this occasion, most urgent with me to get her out of prison; but, on the whole, was less disposed to be communicative than in the latter part of the previous interview, probably because she was beginning to distrust me. The following is my report on this case:— “ Glasgow, 4th December, 1854. W11- u7 thA in accordance with the instructions of William Hart, Esq., Procurator-Fiscal for the Lower Ward of Lanarkshire I have visited and carefully examined Janet M Uonald, at present a prisoner in the North Prison of Glasgow on the 28th and 30th ult., and also this day, with the view of ascertaining her mental condition. As the result of these exami- nations, I am of opinion that the said Janet M'Donald does la jour under a certain degree of mental weakness, hut not to the extent of being incapacitated from distinguishing between right and wrong; and that, m particular, she is perfectly able to com- prehend both the moral character and the legal consequences of le offences with which she stands charged. I am further of opmion, that she is intentionally and designedly endeavouring to exaggerate her mental weakness, especially in regard to deficiency ot memory, with the express purpose of escaping punishment, and procuring her transference to a lunatic asylum or a poor-house. Ail winch I attest on soul and conscience. “John Crawford, M.D.” The prisoner was brought up for trial at the winter circuit When previous y visited m prison by the agent for the poor, she ' had relapsed into her first assumption of complete imbecility and nothing could be made of her. When she was placed at the bar s le looked the character which she had assumed pretty well and most spectators were I dare say, impressed with the conviction that she was a veritable idiot. The indictment was read, and he was asked m the usual way-“ What do you say to this indict-