Big Word for Baldness Impressed the Jury

1914

Clever Use of Scientific Term Resulted in Acquittal of Lawyer's Client

The case was one of assault and battery, and one of the witnesses was a local doctor whom the prosecuting lawyer proceeded to bully, suggesting that he was prejudiced in favor of the defendant, and had willfully distorted his evidence in his favor.

The doctor denied this, and went on to say that the defendant was suffering from "phalacrosis." The word caused a sensation in court, and, asked to define the disease, the doctor described it as "a sort of chronic disease of an inflammatory nature which affects certain cranial tissues." Asked if it affected the mind, the doctor said he was not posing as an expert, but he had known some persons when suffering from the disease become raving maniacs, and others merely foolish. Some showed destructive and pugilistic tendencies, while many others had suffered for years and had never shown any mental abnormalities.

He refused to say anything further, and the jury promptly acquitted the accused, because, as the foreman explained, "Doc said there was something the matter with his head."

When the case was over the prosecutor sought enlightenment as to the mysterious disease, and found that "phalacrosis" meant — baldness.