Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-03-05
Prevention of INSANITY.

The following remarks from the Annu-
al Report of the Worcester Lunatic Hos
pital, cannot be too urgently pressed upon
the attention of all:
The prevention Of insanity should be
the aim of an enlightened community as
well as its cure. This could be most ef-
fectually done by each individuals obey
ing the laws of health, which include
those that regulate the passions and emo
tions of the mind as well as those lhat
govern the physical system.
For the full and healthy Development
Of the offspring, the parents must be heal
thy and active in body and mind. The
children of the wealthy and indolent are
less numerous and less hardy than the
children of those in more humble and
more laborious stations in society. The
families of the Incorporate cease increas-
ing after the parents have become con-
firmed victims of this vice. Hereditary
predispositon to disease, whicn is either
inherited from ancestors or acquired by tho
parents themselves by abuse Of their own
physical systems, is transmitted to the
lincal descendants, whose systems are
thereby rendered more susceptible. In
such persons a smaller exciting cause
would bring similar disc ased action than
would be necessary in one having no he
reditary susceptibility, whether the maa-
dy be Of the brain or of any other organ.
1t has been said that the mother more
readily transmits this predisposiion than
the father. 1t does not necessarily follow
that the children or the grand children will
be insane because they are the descendants
of insane ancestors. BY carefully avoid
ing all the exciting causes and maintain
ing perfect health, they may not only es-
cape themselves but they may so far free
their systems of it as 10 transmit 10 their
children no particular susceptibility to this
or any other disease. The ntermarrying
Of blood relations is productive of degen-
eracy, and its effects have long been no.
ticed on the crowned heads of Europe.
The physical education of the young is
Of primary importance. Free and active
sports and employments in the open air
each day are necessary for their vigorous
growth. Long confinement TO the school
room or 10 the mill is unnatural and UNI
healthy. The children Of the farmers
and mechanics in New England are IA
yorably situated for n healthy growth.
TO the enterprizing of this class our cities
are indebted for much of their active and
successful population.
Many mechanical employments are
prejudicial to health, and the younger the
operative the more susceptible his system
is 10 any malign influence that may be
brought to bear upon him. All employ
ments that require undue physical exer-
I oas, all where an impure atmosphere is
inhaled, and all where one position is for
a long time maintained, are unhavorable
to full Development fthe body, induce
various diseases, and shorten life.
The proper education of the moral and
intellectual faculties, is of immense inn
portance TO the Individuals own happi-
ness to his usefulness to society. The
child learns very early many important
facts IN regard to the physical world
The character and conduct Of those around
him is the book from which he gets his
first lessons IN morals and in selfgovem-
ment. As his faculty of imitation is very
active, and by which he acquires much of
his early knowledge, the moral obIiquity
OF his nurse is as readily copied as her
wisest example. The desire to crafty
the appetite and 10 indulge the passions
TOO often become governing principles
with the young, and, unless this desire is
restrained with steady hand on the part
of the parent or guardian, it becomes un-
governable, and makes the individual un-
happy in after-life, and an undesirable
member of society.
Liberty is the right of all but, TO en-