and the electric current,
which gave him no sensation of pain. On the other hand, he was subject
to unbearable pains in various parts of the body.

He was in the habit of laughing continually, even when reprimanded, or
when sad subjects were mentioned. In spite of sharp pains in the
epigastric region, he appeared to be in a strange state of euphoria or
morbid bodily well-being, which prevented him from realising that he was
in prison. He manifested regret when taken from his cell, where he said
he had enjoyed himself so much in passing the hours in reading.
Occasionally he had hallucinations of ghosts, lizards, mice, etc.

At night, he seemed to suffer from acute mental confusion, which caused
him to spring out of bed. Sometimes he was seized by a fit of chorea,
followed by deep sleep.

These phenomena led my father to the conclusion that Martinengo was an
inebriate in the first stage of paralytical dementia.

The demented paralytic and the imbecile, like children, are easily
influenced by the suggestions of others or their own fancies. Mere
reading may produce a strong impression on such minds, as in the case of
the little girl who accused the Mayor of Gratz of assault, because she
had listened to the account of a similar case; and the impression is
intensified when, as in the case of Martinengo, it is preceded by
arrest, seclusion in a cell, the remarks of magistrates, warders, etc.

In order to test Martinengo's susceptibility to suggestion, my father
told him that his cell was a room in the "Albergo del Sole," the name of
a hotel in his native town. At first the idea amused him, but after a
few days he began to mention it to other persons and at last he firmly
believed in it. A few months later, he was transferred in a state of
paralysis to the asylum, and there he was fond of boasting of the
"Albergo del Sole" where he had been staying a few months before, and
where they had treated him to choice dishes, etc.

We now come to Fissore, the accuser of the other three. Investigation
of his origin showed that a male cousin had died raving mad, a female
cousin had died in an asylum, a great-uncle on the maternal side had
been crazy and had committed suicide; another cousin was weak-minded and
subject to fits; another, a deaf-mute, had died in an asylum; another
great-uncle was a drunkard and a loafer; one sister was an idiot, the
other had run away from home, and a brother had been convicted several
times.

Giuse