The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-01-08 00:00:00

PAUPER LUNATICS.

The influx of pauper patienta into the county lunatic
asylums continues to excite attention, and evidently
occasions some degree of anxiety. In several instances
a marked increase is exhibited by the statistics of the
last few year.. A statement has just appeared in our
columns, showing the progress of the evil in the
counties of florist. Devon, &MOM* and Wilts. as
well as in South Yorkshire. The matter is one of
much concern to the ()misty authorities, and is
obviously of importance in its bearing on the state of
the community at large, more especially in reference
to the lower strata. We may observe at once that a
mere increase in the number of patients in a county
lunatic asylum is not an absolute proof that the
Insanity ot the county is being augmented beyond the
old proportions. This principle is recognised by the
Committee of the Devonshire Asylum. who, while
reporting an increase in the number of patients, do
I not attribute this to an extension of insanity, but
partly to the fact that the Poor-law Unions are
induced to send their lunatics to the county asylum
In order to obtain the aid of the Treasury grant, and
partly to the fact that many potions are sent to the
asylum for whom the place was not originally
Intended, Still, the Chairman of the Court of
Quarter Sessions was constrained to remark that "it
was astonishing how the asylum had filled." In
Somerset arrangements are being made for an
additional asylum. In Wiltshire the existing asylum
I undergoing enlargement.. At Warfel'', in South
a
Yorkshire, the number of admissions during the past
year have exceeded those of any year since the asylum
was op.ned, the report from Dorsetshire is much the
same. Fact. of this kind relatireto particular establish-
ments would have lee significance were it not that a
broader view of the question leads to a similar result
A favourable explanation may be forthcoming; but
beyond all doubt there is an increase in pauper lunacy,
as entered in official records, beyond that which
corresponds to the growth of the population. If we
go outside the pauper range, we meet with a similar
result, though in a leaser degree. The annual returns
of the Commissioners in Lunacy show the State of the
care for all classes of the insane throughout the
country, whether in the county asylums, workhouse*,
hospitals, licensed houses, or elsewhere. These
statistics also include the imbecile and the idiotic.
So far as figures can speak, the returns shows a
marked increase in the prevalence of insanity, not
merely in absolute numbers but in relation to the
entire population. If we tehe lunatica of all kinds
in England and Wales, we find that in 1859 there were
rather fewer than nineteen lunatics in every ten thou-
sand of the population; whereas in 1877 the number
became more than twentyveven in ten thousand.
Tint., lunacy, during the past nineteen years, as
shown by the official return., increased very nearly
half as fast again as the population. But if we
separate the private patients frowi the pauper cheae,
we find that, whereas the former were ausrmented by
fifty-two per cent., the latter were augmented by
eighty-five per cent.
The deductions from the foregoing figures might be
earneeehnt affected, if it could be shown that peuperism and the lunacy of paupers exhibited an equal growth.
But the actual circumstances are otherwise. In 1859
less than four per cent, of the paupers were lunatics,
whereas now the proportion exceeds eight per cent.,
showing that pauper lunacy has increased twice as
fast as pauperism. On the let of January last year
there were rather more than 732 000 paupers in
England and Wales, and out of this number 59,000
were of unsound mind. In 1859 we had a 130,000
pmpers more than in 1877, and yet the pauper
lunatics were leas than 32.000, indeed of being, now,
59,000. In all probability the number of "pauper
lunatics in this present January somewhat exceeds
00.000 It is certainly a fact to be carefully weighed,
that out of a 100 paupers as many as eight should be
—in some shape or other—of unsound mind. It is
startling to find that during a range of years in whkit
the Private lunatics have been augmented by less them
3,000, the pauper lunatics have received an addition
to their number of more than 27,000. Figure" do not
necessarily tell all the truth, and it may be that the
statistics which we have thus quoted require to be
taken in conjunction with a ciam of facts which lie
beneath the apiece. Lunatic* are DOW treated with •
care and consideration formerly unknown, and there
can he no doubt that while this humane treatment
promotes the cure of the curable, it prolongs
the lifetime of the insane generally. If the
number of persona becoming insane in the course of
a year bore the same relation to the total extent of the
population now that it did in a former period when
the Insane were less cared for, the ratio of insanity to
the po on would be greater now titan it was
formnseslng that the averageduration of life
=the, beans most have un an increases.
ore some portion of the enhanced insanity, as
nieesnred by the number of inserts actually lirbeg, is
due to the more kindly treatment which these mental
sufferer' now receive. Probably there has also been a
decline in the feeling of horror with witkh socalled
"mad homes" were farnewly con mid an
laravadlag erpookka on tbe pert rftt= had

over psalms of usaeund mind to the care of the perish
authorities.
We must confer there is some difficulty in making
these codsiderations account for anything like the
enormous increase of insanity which has taken place
in so recent a period as the last nineteen years. If
lunacy had simply kept pace with the population,
there would be scarcely nineteen patients where there
are now twenty-seven. In every ten thousand of the
population there seem to be eight or nine more
lunatics than there ought to be. While the life-
time of the insane is prolonged by good sanitary
arrangements and proper moral and mental treatment,
there is, no doubt, a set-off in the increased number
of cures. Thus in thecae, of the cmoty and borough
asylums we find the Commissioners in Lunecy
stating in their last report that the Fenn...irks*
among the patients during the year 1876 were fully
two per cent, higher than in the year preceding, and
that the mortality was nearly one per cent. lower. A
decrease in the mortality would help to swell the
number of inmates, by leishening the decrease
o:mdinarily dile to death; but the increase in the cures
would help to tarn the balance the other way. But,
taking a review of the last nineteen years, it is
difficult to canape the conclusion that there has been •
material increase in the amount of insanity. Perhapsca
amore cheering view might be taken if we
rightly estimate the increased longevity. It may be
WS during these nineteen years a large number of
persons have been kept alive by kind and skilful
treatment; and there has been an accumulation of
this nature from year to year, like wave on wave,
raising a sort of flood tide which has an alarming
aspect, but which is really due in a great measure
to the humanity which protects the Milani from
ill-treatment and which provides so extensively for
their health and comfort. That so much of this
augmented Insanity is to be found among the pauper
class lends force to the idea that the humanity of the
age is helping to conserve insanity among the popula-
tion. Breit • result need cause no anxiety, though
the maintenance of the insane ia of course a pecuniary
burden on society. There can be no doubt that if the
present generation treated the insane after the fashion
of • former age the statistics of insanity would be
considerably reduced. As it is now an offence against
the law to adopt that kind of treatment for the
insane which warn once thought proper and remedial,
we find that they die less rapidly, and therefore
augment the ennuis! statistics. As for the causes of
Insanity, perhaps they are pretty much what they
ever were, though it is the fashion to speak of over-
work and luxury as having much to do with the
phenomenon, and as having an especial Influence in
modern times. That these have an effect need not be
disputed; but they appear to have very little to do
with the broad and general result Female insanity
Is that which prevails; and this, of course, appertains
largely to the domestic class, who have very little to
' du with the peculiar exatements of this busy age.
The largest number of male lunatics occurs among the
agricultural clam. The subject is an intricate one,
but we trust it is capable of being placed In a hopeful
light, and that the more it is understood the lees
ground we shall find foe alarm or regret —Standard.

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