| Summary: | "The question studied in this volume is undoubtedly of a nature which excites intense interest in every land; no legislation can refuse to consider it or evade an attempt to solve it. It is too easy to dodge the question by saying, ironically and mockingly, that according to my teachings, everybody is a little crazy, and consequently it is hardly worth the while to trouble oneself to make distinctions. The object of this book is to demonstrate that to this burning question the magistrate, assisted by the physician, may make three different replies according to the case in hand: (1) The accused criminal is entirely responsible; he has normal psychic neurons, therefore he ought only to be punished and put in prison. (2) The accused criminal is entirely irresponsible; his psychic neurons are wholly diseased, therefore he ought only to be treated and placed in a hospital. (3) The accused criminal has attenuated responsibility; his psychic neurons are not normal, but are partially diseased, therefore he ought to be both punished and treated. He should be placed successively in a prison and in a hospital"--Create. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).
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