Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/718

 704 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

or less well known, some diseases and accidents affecting the mind have been successfully treated by surgical operations. There are infinite possibilities in the field of insanity alone for an experimental laboratory along the lines suggested. Experi- ments performed on animals have been of great service to man- kind, but there is no comparison when we consider the value to be derived from such scientific experiments on human subjects.

It goes without saying that safeguards should be provided in the establishment of stations for the purpose of experiment- ing on human beings ; for even a condemned murderer has rights which society is bound to respect. Only trained specialists of the highest order should liave access to the advantages offered. In many states the trained specialists and the necessary labora- tories already exist, suitable legislative action being all that is needed for beginning the work. It might be advisable, also, to season justice with mercy by offering freedom to those who sur- vived an experiment which resulted in a discovery of great value to humanity, and whose conduct and bearing were such as to offer a reasonable guaranty of safety to society on their release.

Objection to such punishment will doubtless be made on the ground of cruelty, and that it is inhibited by the eighth amend- ment to the constitution of the United States, which declares that " cruel and unusual punishments" shall not be inflicted. A few years ago electrocution of a condemned murderer was con- sidered most unusual ; nevertheless the courts upheld the law of New York which substituted death by electricity for hanging. A century ago it would have been considered much more unusual (if it could have been imagined possible) to condemn a man to die by electricity than to condemn him to be a subject for experi- ment in a hospital or laboratory. The most common and the most useful things were once unusual. There is no reason in opposing a method of inflicting punishment simply because it may be considered unusual.

But many well-meaning people will believe such punishment to be cruel. Yet what is so cruel as ignorance ? Millions suffer and hundreds of thousands die annually of diseases that should be as much under human control as is that once dreadful scourge,