Mad-Doctors in the Dock: Defending the Diagnosis 1760-1913

"Detailed courtroom narratives . . . give us a colorful and gripping sense of the life-and-death maneuvers involved in mounting an insanity defense." —Andrew Scull, author of Madness in Civilization

Shortly before she pushed her infant daughter headfirst into a bucket of water and fastened the lid, Annie Cherry warmed the pail because, as she later explained to a police officer, "It would have been cruel to put her in cold water." Afterwards, this mother sat down and poured herself a cup...