友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
飞读中文网 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

criminal psychology-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



 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; conceit; sensuality and extravagance; the farther back the more
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!