The Plea of Insanity, In Criminal Cases. First Edition.
A Landmark in the Evolution of Insanity Jurisprudence Winslow, Forbes [1810-1874]. The Plea of Insanity, In Criminal Cases. London: H. Renshaw, 1843. viii, 78, [2] pp. Tipped-in errata sheet. Final leaf of publisher advertisements (for other books by Winslow). Octavo (7-1/2" x 4-1/4"). Original textured cloth with decorative blind stamping, gilt title to front board. Light rubbing and a few small nicks to boards, moderate rubbing to extremities with some wear to spine ends and corners, front free endpaper lacking, moderate toning to text. This copy was once the property of the renowned psychiatrist J.R. Oliver. $750. * First edition. The frequent establishment of the plea of insanity in criminal cases was largely due to Winslow's influence, and he was called as a witness in many celebrated trials. This treatise was one of the first attempts to outline criteria through which to determine the legitimacy of an insanity plea. This issue would be resolved later that year with the establishment of the McNaghten Rules, which this work undoubtedly influenced, and which are still applied in England today. Dr. Winslow, a London physician, was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and the father of Dr. Winslow Lyttleton Forbes, who is best known for his work on the case of Jack the Ripper. British Museum Catalogue (Compact Edition) 27:316.
Price: $750.00
Book number 71481