Was it murder or insanity? Reactions to a successful paroxysmal insanity plea in 1865.
This 1865 Harris/Burroughs trial marked the first time that the paroxysmal [temporary] insanity plea was supported by expert medical testimony in a U.S. courtroom. Jurors agreed that the female defendant was insane at the time of the shooting due to being "crossed in love and suffering from painful dysmenorrhea." Attitudinal stances of the legal system, health professionals, newspapers and the public are illustrated. By merely changing the antebellum language, the reactions could be recycled into our current tabloid newspapers and titillating TV programs as if the tragedy occurred yesterday.
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Preventive Medicine & Community Health, State University of New York, Health Science Center College of Medicine, Brooklyn 11203.
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D004219:District of Columbia; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000266:history*; D005104:Expert Testimony; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000266:history; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006708:Homicide / Q000266:history* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007298:Insanity Defense / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States