ABSTRACT
This article discusses the insertion of medicine in the legal order concerning crimes committed by person in state of insanity in Brazil in the period comprehended between 1890 and 1940. The comprehension of this insertion is justified for the necessity of debating the present treatment dispensed to this population, in order to understand the historical processes that built it. The studied material points to a medical science identity capable of unveiling the enigma of insanity and crime, providing answers when the two phenomena occur simultaneously in the court. Therefore, allegedly holder of this capability, medicine has an important role in the juridical process regarding the insane offender, being responsible for determining the accountability and the ceasing of dangerousness, resembling, in certain measure, Athena's binding vote in Orestes´ trial.
Keywords:
madness; crime; psychiatric reform; criminal law