Des homicides commis par les aliénés

This study examines cases of homicidal acts committed by persons with mental illness, correlating types of delusion and states (persecution delusions, monomania, melancholic suicidal ideas, manic excitation, epileptic seizures, alcohol-related psychoses) with violent outcomes. It argues that the gravity of an assault often does not correspond to the apparent extent of intellectual disturbance and analyzes how intermittent crises, hallucinations, and sudden cerebral excitations can precipitate impulsive or prepared killings. Clinical and judicial examples illustrate differences between passive persecuted patients and those who become dangerous during acute exacerbations, with attention to conditions bearing on medico-legal responsibility.