criminal psychology-第64部分

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of　perception；　as　we　know　from　the　delicacy　of　the　sense　in　blind　people。　The　statements　of　the　blind　concerning　their　contact　sensations　may　be　believed　even　when　they　seem　improbable；　there　are　blind　persons　who　may　feel　the　very　color　of　fabrics；　because　the　various　pigments　and　their　medium　give　a　different　surface…　quality　to　the　cloth　they　color。

In　another　direction；　again；　it　is　the　deaf　who　have　especial　power。　So；　we　are　assured　by　Abercrombie　that　in　his　medical　practice　he　had　frequently　observed　how　deaf　people　will　perceive　the　roll　of　an　approaching　wagon；　or　the　approach　of　a　person；　long　before　people　with　good　hearing　do　so。　For　a　long　time　I　owned　an　Angora　which；　like　all　Angoras；　was　completely　deaf；　and　her　deafness　had　been　tested　by　physicians。　Nevertheless；　if　the　animal　was　dozing　somewhere　and　anybody　came　near　it；　she　would　immediately　notice　his　steps；　and　would　distinguish　them；　for　she　would　jump　up　frightened；　if　the　newcomer　was　unknown；　and　would　stretch　herself　with　pleasure　in　the　expectation　of　petting　if　she　felt　a　friend　coming。　She　would　sense　the　lightest　touch　on　the　object　she　occupied；　bench；　window…seat；　sofa；　etc。；　and　she　was　especially　sensitive　to　very　light　scratching　of　the　object。　Such　sensitivity　is　duplicated　frequently　in　persons　who　are　hard　of　hearing；　and　whom；　therefore；　we　are　likely　to　doubt。

The　sense　of　touch　is；　moreover；　improved　not　only　by　practice；　but　also　by　the　training　of　the　muscles。　Stricker　asserts　that　he　has　frequently　noticed　that　the　observational　capacity　of　individuals　who　make　much　use　of　their　muscles　is　greater　than　among　persons　whose　habits　are　sedentary。　This　does　not　contradict　the　truth　established　by　many　experiments　that　the　educated　man　is　more　sensitive　in　all　directions　than　the　uneducated。　Again；　women　have　a　better　developed　sense　of　touch　than　men；　the　space…sense　and　the　pressure…sense　being　equivalent　in　both　sexes。　On　these　special　forms　of　the　touch…sense　injections　of　various　kinds　have　decided　influence。　The　injection　of　morphine；　e。　g。；　reduces　the　space…sense　in　the　skin。　_Cannabinum　tannicum_　reduces　sensibility　and　alcohol　is　swift　and　considerable　in　its　effects。　According　to　Reichenbach　some　sensitives　are　extreme　in　their　feeling。　The　　best　of　them　notice　immediately　the　approach　and　relative　position　of　people；　or　the　presence　of　another　in　a　dark　room。　That　very　nervous　people　frequently　feel　air　pressure；　fine　vibrations；　etc。；　is　perfectly　true。　And　this　and　other　facts　show　the　great　variety　of　touch　impressions　that　may　be　distinguished。　The　sense　of　temperature　has　a　comparatively　high　development；　and　more　so　in　women　than　in　men。　At　the　lips　and　with　the　tips　of　the　fingers；　differences　of　two…tenths　of　a　degree　are　perceived。　But　where　an　absolute　valuation　and　not　a　difference　is　to　be　perceived；　the　mean　variation；　generally；　is　not　much　less　than　4　degrees。　E。　g。；　a　temperature　of　19　degrees　R。　will　be　estimated　at　from　17　to　21　degrees。　I　believe；　however；　that　the　estimation　of　very　common　temperatures　must　be　accepted　as　correct。　E。　g。；　anybody　accustomed　to　have　his　room　in　winter　14　degrees　R。　will　immediately　notice；　and　correctly　estimate；　the　rise　or　fall　of　one　degree。　Again；　anybody　who　takes　cold　baths　in　summer　will　observe　a　change　of　one　degree　in　temperature。　It　will；　therefore；　be　possible　to　believe　the　pronouncements　of　witnesses　concerning　a　narrow　range　of　temperatures；　but　all　the　conditions　of　perception　must　be　noted　for　the　differences　are　extreme。　It　has　been　shown；　e。　g。；　that　the　whole　hand　finds　water　of　29　degrees　R。　warmer　than　water　of　32　degrees　R。　which　is　merely　tested　with　the　finger。　Further；　Weber　points　out；＇1＇　‘‘If　we　put　two　adjacent　fingers　into　two　different　warm　fluids　the　sensations　flow　together　in　such　a　way　that　it　is　difficult　to　distinguish　differences。　But　if　we　use　two　hands　in　this　test；　it　is　especially　successful　when　we　change　the　hands　from　one　fluid　to　another。　The　closer　the　points　on　the　skin　which　receive　contemporary　impressions　and　perhaps；　the　closer　the　portions　of　the　brain　to　which　these　impressions　are　sent；　the　more　easily　these　sensations　flow　together　while　again；　the　further　they　are　from　one　another　the　less　frequently　does　this　occur。''　In　the　practice　of　criminal　law　such　matters　will　rarely　arise；　but　estimations　of　temperature　are　frequently　required　and　their　reliability　must　be　established。


＇1＇　E。　H。　Weber：　Die　Lehre　vom　Tastsinn　u。　Gemeingefhl。　Braunschweig　1851。


It　is　important　to　know　what　a　wounded　man　and　his　enemy　feel　in　the　first　instant　of　the　crime　and　in　what　degree　their　testimonies　are　reliable。　First　of　all；　we　have　to　thank　the　excellent　observations　of　Weber；　for　the　knowledge　that　we　find　it　very　difficult　to　discover　with　closed　eyes　the　angle　made　by　a　dagger　thrust　against　the　body。　It　is　equally　difficult　to　determine　the　direction　from　　which　a　push　or　blow　has　come。　On　the　other　hand　we　can　tell　very　accurately　in　what　direction　a　handful　of　hair　is　pulled。

With　regard　to　the　time　it　takes　to　feel　contact　and　pain；　it　is　asserted　that　a　short　powerful　blow　on　a　corn　is　felt　immediately；　but　the　pain　of　it　one　to　two　seconds　later。　It　may　be　that　corns　have　an　especial　constitution；　but　otherwise　the　time　assigned　before　feeling　pain　is　far　too　long。　Helmholtz　made　1850　measurements　which　proved　that　the　nervous　current　moves　90　feet　a　second。　If；　then；　you　prick　your　finger；　you　feel　it　a　thirtieth　of　a　second　later。　The　easiest　experiments　which　may　be　made　in　that　regard　are　insufficient　to　establish　anything　definite。　We　can　only　say　that　the　perception　of　a　peripheral　pain　occurs　an　observable　period　after　the　shock；　i。　e。；　about　a　third　of　a　second　later　than　its　cause。

The　sensation　of　a　stab　is　often　identified　as　contact　with　a　hot　object；　and　it　is　further　asserted　that　the　wounded　person　feels　close　to　the　pain　which　accompanies　the　push　or　the　cut；　the　cold　of　the　blade　and　its　presence　in　the　depths　of　his　body。　So　far　as　I　have　been　able　to　learn　from　wounded　people；　these　assertions　are　not　confirmed。　Setting　aside　individuals　who　exaggerate　intentionally　and　want　to　make　themselves　interesting　or　to　indicate　considerable　damage；　all　answers　point　to　the　fact　that　stabs；　shots；　and　blows　are　sensed　as　pushes。　In　addition；　the　rising　of　the　blood　is　felt　almost　immediately；　but　nothing　else；　pain　comes　much　later。　It　is　asserted　by　couleur…students＇1＇　who　have　occasion　to　have　a　considerable　number　of　duels　behind　them；　that　‘‘sitting　thrusts；''　even　when　they　are　made　with　the　sharpest　swords；　are　sensed　only　as　painless；　or　almost　painless；　blows　or　pushes。　Curiously　enough　all　say　that　the　sensation　is　felt　as　if　caused　by　some　very　broad　dull　tool：　a　falling　shingle；　perhaps。　But　not　one　has　felt　the　cold　of　the　entering　blade。


＇1＇　Students　who　are　members　of　student　societies　distinguished　by　particular　colors。


Soldiers　whose　shot　wounds　were　inquired　into；　often　just　a　few　minutes　after　their　being　wounded；　have　said　unanimously　that　they　had　felt　only　a　hard　push。

It　is　quite　different　with　the　man　who　causes　the　wound。　Lotze　has　rightly　called　attention　to　the　fact　that　in　mounting　a　ladder　with　elastic　rungs　one　perceives　clearly　the　points　at　which　the　rungs　are　fastened　to　the　sides。　The　points　at　which　an　elastic　trellis　is　fastened　is　felt　when　it　is　shaken；　and　the　resistance　of　the　wood　when　an　axe　is　used　on　it。　In　the　same　way　the　soldier　senses　clearly　　the　entrance　of　his　sword…point　or　blade　into　the　body　of　his　enemy。　The　last　fact　is　confirmed　by　the　students。　One　can　clearly　distinguish　whether　the　sword　has　merely　beaten　through　the　skin　or　has　sunk　deeply　and　reached　the　bone。　And　this　sensation　of　touch　is　concentrated　in　the　_*right_　thumb；　which　is　barely　under　the　hilt　of　the　sword　at　the　point　where　the　grip　rests。

The　importance　of　the　fact　that　the　wounder　feels　his　success　lies　in　the　possibility　it　gives　him；　when　he　wants　to　tell　the　truth；　to　indicate　reliably　whether　and　how　far　he　has　wounded　his　opponent。　The　importance　of　the　testimony　of　the　wounded　man　lies　in　its　influence　on　determining；　in　cases　where　there　were　more　than　one　concerned　in　the　assault；　which　wound　is　to　be　assigned　to　which　man。　We　often　hear　from　the　victim　who　really　desires　to　tell　the　truth；　‘‘I　was　quite　convinced　that　X　dealt　me　the　deep　stab　in　the　shoulder；　but　he　has　only　pushed　and　not　stabbed　me　I　did　not　perceive　a　stab。''　Just　the　same；　it　was　X　who　stabbed　him；　and　if　the　examining　judge　explains　the　matter　to　the　victim；　his　testimony　will　be　yet　more　honest。

There　are　still　a　few　other　significant　facts。

1。　It　is　well　known　that　the　portion　of　the　skin　which　covers　a　bone　and　which　is　then　so　pulled　away　that　it　covers　a　fleshy　part；　can　not　easily　identify　the　point　of　stimulation。　Such　transpositions　may　be　made　intentionally　in　this　experiment；　but　they　occur　frequently　through　vigorous　twists　of　the　body。　When　the　upper　part　of　the　body　is　drawn　backwards；　while　one　is　sitting　down；　a　collection　of　such　transpositions　occur　and　it　is　very　hard　then　to　localize　a　blow　or　stab。　So；　too；　when　an　arm　is　held　back