The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-10 00:00:00

was a result and not a cause ; an effect of the same
physical or mental condition which also caused the
development of insanity. But deducting such,
there still remains a sufficient number to enable us
to assert that the state of " single blessedness" is
not the most healthy one either as regards mind or
body—nor the most natural one, view it as we
may.

This year there has been a great preponderance in
the admission of female over male patients, the num-
bers being of females 39, and of males 30. Last year
there was an excess of one female. These numbers,
taken by themselves, would tend to prove that
females are more liable to insanity than males.
But of a total of 1,061 admissions during 30 years,
from July, 1827, 527 were females and 534 males,
showing a slight preponderance in favour of males.
Our statistics tend to prove, however, that reco-
veries have been more frequent and deaths less
frequent among women. For of 456 recoveries from
1827 to 1857, 263 were females and 193'males ;
while of 197 deaths during the same period 77 were
females and 120 males. Taking the general statis-
tics of British and foreinn asylums as a basis, it is
found that males are slightly more predisposed to
insanity than females ; and experience, therefore,
proves what a priori reasoning would lead us to
expect—judging from the greater frequency of the
causes of insanity in the one sex than in the other.
The age of patients when admitted does not give
an accurate idea of the age at the time of attack ;
for the interval elapsing between the attack and ad-
mission varies greatly. Of 69 admissions 20 patients
were under 30 years of age, 38 below 40, and 53
below 50, while there were only 16 above 50. This
shows, as all statistics tend to show, that the liabi-
lity to insanity is greatest in mid-age, when the
battle of life is fiercest—when the powers of intel-
lect proper are strained, and the emotions and pas-
sions excited to the utmost. Out tables will show
that the greatest number of admissions occurred
between the ages of 30 and 40—viz., 18 ; then be-
tween 20 and 30, and 40 and 50,15 each ; and lastly
between 50 and 60, 12. Of the recoveries, 23 in
number, 6 occurred under 30, 13 under 40, and 18
under 50,, while only 4 patients were above the lat-
ter age—thus showing, that, as in the liability to
insanity, so are the chances of recovery greatest in
mid-age.
The period of admission is not a safe criterion or
index to the period of attack ; but the dates of ad-
mission in the aggregate may afford approxima-
tive results, nevertheless, of some value. Our sta-
tistical tables for the last 31 years show that the
months in which the greatest number of admissions
took place were August, July, June, and March ;
while those during which the fewest admissions oc-
curred were Nov., Dec., and Feb. Hence it may be
broadly stated that the liability to in.sanity appears
greatest during the hotter months of the year,
and least during the colder—greater during hot
than cold weather. This is borne out by the expe-
rience of asylums not only in Britain and on the con-
tinent, but in India. Esquirol's experience in the
Saltpetriere was that the liability was greatest in
May, June, July, and August, decreasing from the
latter months to September or December. Par-
chappe comes to a similar conclusion. From this
fact 'of the influence of season in predisposing to in-
sanity, it may naturally be inferred that climate
should act in a simikr way ; or, in other words, that
insanity should be more prevalent in hot than in
cold climates—in. India tbAn in Scandinavia. This,
however, explain it as we may, is contrary to fact, for
it is notorious that no country or climate is so preg-
nant of insanity as that of Norway, for instance.
Again, in this institution, the greatest number of
recoveries occurred in September and August ;
next in March, October, and December ; while the
fewest occurred in November and February, the
next months in order being April, May, and July.
Esquirol's experience in the Saltpetriere was that
recoveries were more numerous in spring and
autumn than during the other seasons or months of
the year. Our table of periods of recovery also
shows distinctly the preponderance of recoveries
among females, in the proportion of 263 to 192
males (the numbers of the sexes admitted during
the last 31 years being equal, or nearly so.) This
preponderance of females in regard to recoveries
holds good from year to year, and as a general rule
the disease in women being usually more acute,
transient, and curable than in men.
In this asylum, intemperance has always figured
comparatively low as a cause of insanity. During
the past year, of 69 admissions, intemperance was
assigned as the cause in only 4 cases ; and in some
of these it may have been wrongly so assigned.
It apparently figures much higher among the
xecoveries, for of 22 cases discharged recovered
during the year, intemperance was ascribed as the
cause of the original attack in six instances. Taking,
our statistics for the last 31 years, we find intem-
perance or dissipation to have been the assigned
cause in about 10 per cent. of the total of 1,130
cases admitted; or, if we deduct the cases in which
no cause is stated at all—which will leave a total.
of 733—in about 15 per cent. No distinction, how-
ever, is drawn, nor can it generally be drawn, be-
tween the influence of intemperance as an exciting,
and as a predisposing cause ; for, undoubtedly, in
different cases, it may be the one or other. More-
over, it is almost impossible to ascertain in how
many cases it is really the cause, or a cause, and
not the effect, or an effect. For instance, intempe-
rance is frequently associated with disappointments
in business, grief and despair, and other depress-
ing emotions ; and it seems pretty certain that, in
many of such cases, at least, intemperance and
insanity are produced by the same moral causes—
the intemperance exaggerating the insanity, or
the insanity the intemperance. We fear that
there is a great tendency in certain sections of
society to exaggerate the importance of intemper-
ance as a cause of insanity, in order to illustrate
more powerfully their own peculiar views. There
is no necessity for this • the relations of intemper-
ance to insanity are sufficiently apparent, and illus-
trations of the evils to which it thus leads are suffi-
ciently numerous, to render exaggeration unneces-
sary and even mischievous. It may be necessary
to enter a caveat against a popular error, viz., that
all cases of insanity from drink are cases of dipso-
mania. This term is liable to be abused and mis-
understood. Cases of insanity traceable mediately
or immediately to drink—to intemperance—are
comparatively common in all asylums ; but cases
of dipsomania proper are much less so. The term
is properly applicable only when the disease takes
the form of incessant and uncontrollable appetite
for stimulants, an appetite which no consideration,
moral or intellectual, personal or public, can enable
the infatuated victim to control or keep under.

HANDSOME CONDUCT OF A FRENCH

CAPTAIN.

LIVERPOOL, Sept. B.—The master of the Peter
Foulkes writes :—" On the Bth of July, when about
120 miles east of Malta, on her passage home, the
schooner Peter .Foulkes, of Liverpool, under my
'command, with a cargo of Indian corn from the
Danube for the United Kingdom, suddenly sprung
a leak during a heavy gale, and, when in a sinking
state, myself and crew, five in all, were taken off
the wreck by the French steamer Simois, Lieut.
Guillon Penau, commander, exhausted by our ex-
ertions at the pumps to keep the ship afloat -until
assistance could be obtained, and with nothing on
us in the shape of clothing but the shirt and trousers
each in which we had been working. On getting
on board the steamer, Capt. Penau sent us sufficient
comfortable clothing for all hands, and for 15 days,
while we were on board of his ship, during which
time he was beating down under canvas to Mar-
seilles, the screw having been broken, he treated
us in the most kind and hospitable manner, allow-
ing us to want for nothing. On arrival at Mar-
seilles he brought. all hands into his own cabin,
and insisted on my crew taking 100 f. to supply
immediate wants, adding, that while we remained
at Marseilles, if we liked, we might make his ship
our home, and that our provisions would be there
for us. He then sent one of his officers with me to
the British consul. I am sorry to state that we did
not receive the assistance from that gentleman that
we expected,and to which I think British seamen,
circumstanced as we were, are entitled. I stated
our case to him, and three days afterwards my men
were supplied each with a pair of trousers, a shirt,
and a cap, and, after a further delay of four days,
I was supplied with a shirt and a pair of trousers.
To save time waiting for a remittance from m*
written, owner, to whom I told him I had • -
I
wished him to advance me' as much on a draft
on my owner as would carry me home. This
he
declined, and suggested that I •
might
raise as
much as I required by going round amongst the
English ships in the harbour. That I declined'
to do. In due course of post I • received my
owner's remittance, when before leaving I went
to the French Captain Penau, to know
and g
what I was in his debt, t thank him for his
great kindness to. •
myself
and crew. We had pre-
viously offered him the clothing - we could spare, on
receiving the supplies from the consul, which the
captain declined to take. He said
nothing, and he would accept of nothing ; that he
had done no more than he believed an Englishman
would do for a Frenchman similarly situated. On
shaking hands :with me, he 'looked at my clothing,
said I had but -a poor outfit, and offered to supply
me with a better from his -wardrobe: This, of course,
I declined. Hoping. yon... Will 'excuse the length of
this letter, as I have no doubt yeu•will agree with
me such noble conduct &mild be known:--I am,
sir, your most obedient servant, WM, GRAHAM."