criminal psychology-第80节
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l； moreover； is quite reliable； provided； of course； they are not delirious or crazy。
The cases are innumerable in which people have lost their memory for a short time； or for ever。 I have already elsewhere mentioned an event which happened to a friend of mine who received a sudden blow on the head while in the mountains and completely lost all memory of what had occurred a few minutes before the blow。 After this citation I got a number of letters from my colleagues who had dealt with similar cases。 I infer； therefore； that the instances in which people lose their memory of what has occurred before the event by way of a blow on the head； are numerous。＇1＇
＇1＇ Cf。 H。 Gross's Archiv。 I； 337。
Legally such cases are important because we would not believe statements in that regard made by accused； inasmuch as there seems to be no reason why the events _*before_ the wound should disappear； just as if each impression needed a fixative； like a charcoal drawing。 But as this phenomenon is described by the most reliable persons； who have no axe to grind in the matter； we must believe it； other things being equal； even when the defendant asserts it。 That such cases are not isolated is shown in the fact that people who have been stunned by lightning have later forgotten everything that occurred shortly before the flash。 The case is similar in poisoning with carbonic…acid gas； with mushrooms； and in strangulation。 The latter cases are especially important； inasmuch as the wounded person； frequently the only witness； has nothing to say about the event。
I cannot omit recalling in this place a case I have already mentioned elsewhere； that of Brunner。 In 1893 in the town of Dietkirchen； in Bavaria； the teacher Brunner's two children were murdered； and his wife and servant girl badly wounded。 After some time the woman regained consciousness； seemed to know what she was about； but could not tell the investigating justice who had been sent on to take charge of the case； anything whatever concerning the event； the criminal； etc。 When he had concluded his negative protocol she signed it； Martha Guttenberger； instead of Martha Brunner。 Fortunately the official noted this and wanted to know what relation she had to the name Guttenberger。 He was told that a former lover of the servant girl an evil…mouthed fellow； was called by that name。 He was traced to Munich and there arrested。 He immediately confessed to the crime。 And when Mrs。 Brunner became quite well she recalled accurately that she had definitely recognized Guttenberger as the murderer。＇1＇
＇1＇ J。 Hubert： Das Verhalten des Gedchtnisses nach Kopfverletzungen。 Basel； 1901。
The psychological process was clearly one in which the idea； ‘‘Guttenberger is the criminal；'' had sunk into the secondary sphere of consciousness； the subconsciousness；so that it was only clear to the real consciousness that the name Guttenberger had something to do with the crime。 The woman in her weakened mental condition thought she had already sufficiently indicated this fact； so that she overlooked the name； and hence wrote it unconsciously。 Only when the pressure on her brain was reduced did the idea that Guttenberger was the murderer pass from the subconscious to the conscious。 Psychiatrists explain the case as follows：
The thing here involved is retrograde amnesia。 It is nowadays believed that this phenomenon in the great majority of cases occurs according to the rule which defines traumatic hysteria； i。 e。； as ideogen。 The ideational complexes in question are forced into the subconsciousness； whence； on occasion； by aid of associative processes； hypnotic concentration； and such other similar elements； they can be raised into consciousness。 In this case； the suppressed ideational complex manifested itself in signing the name。
All legal medicine discusses the fact that wounds in the head make people forget single words。 Taine； Guerin； Abercrombie； etc。； cite many examples； and Winslow tells of a woman who； after considerable bleeding； forgot all her French。 The story is also told that Henry Holland had so tired himself that he forgot German。 When he grew stronger and recovered he regained all he had forgotten。
_Now would we believe a prisoner who told us any one of these things？_
The phenomena of memories which occur in dying persons who have long forgotten and never even thought of these memories； are very significant。 English psychologists cite the case of Dr。 Rush； who had in his Lutheran congregation Germans and Swedes； who prayed in their own language shortly before death； although they had not used it for fifty or sixty years。 I can not prevent myself from thinking that many a death…bed confession has something to do with this phenomenon。＇2＇
＇2＇ Cf。 H。 Gross's Archiv。 XV； 123。
At the boundary between incorrect perception and forgetting are those cases in which； under great excitement； important events do not reach consciousness。 I believe that the responsibility is here to be borne by the memory rather than by sense…perception。 There seems to be no reason for failing to perceive with the senses under the greatest excitement； but there is some clearness in the notion that great excitement causes what has just been perceived to be almost immediately forgotten。 In my ‘‘Manual'' I have discussed a series of cases of this sort； and show how the memory might come into play。 None of the witnesses； e。 g。； had seen that Mary Stuart received； when being executed； two blows。 In the case of an execution of many years ago； not one of those present could tell me the color of the gloves of the executioner； although everyone had noticed the gloves。 In a train wreck； a soldier asserted that he had seen dozens of smashed corpses； although only one person was harmed。 A prison warden who was attacked by an escaping murderer； saw in the latter's hand a long knife； which turned out to be a herring。 When Carnot was murdered； neither one of the three who were in the carriage with him； nor the two footmen； saw the murderer's knife or the delivery of the blow； etc。
How often may we make mistakes because the witnessesin their excitementhave forgotten the most important things！
Section 55。 （d） Illusions of Memory。
Memory illusion； or paramnesia； consists in the illusory opinion of having experienced； seen； or heard something； although there has been no such experience； vision； or sound。 It is the more important in criminal law because it enters unobtrusively and unnoticed into the circle of observation； and not directly by means of a demonstrated mistake。 Hence； it is the more difficult to discover and has a disturbing influence which makes it very hard to perceive the mistakes that have occurred in consequence of it。
It may be that Leibnitz meant paramnesia with his ‘‘perceptiones insensibiles。'' Later； Lichtenberg must have had it in mind when he repeatedly asserted that he must have been in the world once before； inasmuch as many things seemed to him so familiar； although； at the time； he had not yet experienced them。 Later on； Jessen concerned himself with the question； and Sander＇1＇ asserts him to have been the first。 According to Jessen； everybody is familiar with the phenomenon in which the sudden impression occurs； that what is experienced has already been met with before so that the future might be predicted。 Langwieser asserts that one always has the sensation that the event occurred a long time ago； and Dr。 Karl Neuhoff finds that his sensation is accompanied with unrest and contraction。 The same thing is discussed by many other authors。＇1b＇
＇1＇ W。 Sander： ber Erinnerungstuschungen； Vol。 IV of Archiv fr Psychiatrie u。 Nervenkrankheiten。
＇1b＇ Sommer： Zur Analyse der Erinnerungstuechungen。 Beitrge zur Psych。 d。 Aussage； 1。 1903。
Various explanations have been offered。 Wigand and Maudsley think they see in paramnesia a simultaneous functioning of both relations。 Anje believes that illusory memory depends on the differentiation which sometimes occurs between perception and coming…into…consciousness。 According to Klpe； these are the things that Plato interpreted in his doctrine of pre…existence。
Sully；＇2＇ in his book on illusions； has examined the problem most thoroughly and he draws simple conclusions。 He finds that vivacious children often think they have experienced what is told them。 This； however； is retained in the memory of the adult； who continues to think that he has actually experienced it。 The same thing is true when children have intensely desired anything。 Thus the child… stories given us by Rousseau； Goethe； and De Quincey； must come from the airy regions of the dream life or from waking revery； and Dickens has dealt with this dream life in ‘‘David Copperfield。'' Sully adds； that we also generate illusions of memory when we assign to experiences false dates； and believe ourselves to have felt； as children； something we experienced later and merely set back into our childhood。
＇2＇ James Sully： Illusions。 London。
So again； he reduces much supposed to have been heard； to things that have been read。 Novels may make such an impression that what has been read or described there appears to have been real
