The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-06-07
|, 90.
From hs Medical Rgf6rmsr.
INCREASE OF INSANITY IN THR
UNITED STATES.

I y
report for the year 1850, ! have been great
| ly surprised at the awful increase of this
fearful malady among u.s. and my. own
mind has been led into train of thought in
the investigation of the unknown cause that
must be surely thought secretly working all
this mental wreck and ruin among the yig--
orous sons and fair daughters of our own
happy land.
At the decennial census oil 1910 there
were reported 1851 insane and idiotic
persons inthe United States ten years later,
in 1850 this number is nearly doubled,
amounting to 2s,a20 an increase of 100
per cent. in ten years while the whole in
crease in population is only 6,i22,42s, or
about 40 per cent. e Sfi
Should not these figures and facts attract
the attention of our statesmen and philan-
thropists and induce them, at least, to make
an effort to arrest this awful calamityl-~
Millions Of dollars are annually spent to
provide homes, instruction, and assistance
for this unfortunate class of individuals,
and the minds of many of our generous,cit-
izens are devoted to an alleviation of their
suferings. This is as il should be; and
every man whose heart contains spark Of
sympathy for the afflicted of humanity bids
them success in their benevolent efforts;
But may not also something be done to pre-
vent the unprecedented increase Of this 4
dreadful national calamity! We ethink that
much may be accomplished in this direcs
tion, and to direct the friends of the unfor-
tunate to the contemplation, of the means
by which it may be done is the object of
our present feeble effort. -
To remove an evil in the most iudicious
and expeditions manner, it first becomes
necessary that we make suitable explora-
tons in search of its cause In some IN
stancs it is difficult to at once discover this;
if in the present case such are the condi-
tions, so much greater is the necessity for
the attempt. -, =,
1t is quite apparent that the cause Of the
great increase of insanity and idiocy among
us, is not--as some have supposed-to be
attributed 10 the ten thousand trihing ex.
elements that daily stimulate the mental
faculties in this age ofnew things. New and
wonderful revelations may be made in all
the arts and sciences: the student Of natural
philosophy may dslve deep into the great
store house of nature and bring forth the
most exquisite fabrics of her production,
but these are not calculated to SO excite the
mind as to drive it frcm its true balance and
dash il into chaos. To these things we are
from infancy accustomed, and the most
wonderful inventions of man or develop
ments of nature excite but passing notice.
Further into the great ocean of physics we
must force our way; and zen passant" we
would ask, is it possible, that Intoxicating
liquors, with all the known evil that it has
entailed on society, is still chargable with
portion of this great crime against humane
ity? 1t may in part be, but we infer that
there are other causes, such too as the great
| philairthropists and philosophers Of the
day do not even nssuspect Of participation,
at work down deep in the great heart Of So
! ciety, undermining and sapping the physi-
cal as well as mental vitality of the race,
and quietly and secretly hewing out the sep
ulchres that annually entomb this brilliant
God-like principle of humanity. All the pas
sions that grow rank in the corrupt heart of
man may spend their powers upon this mem
tai principle, if it is firmly planted it viii be
| in vain, for something more is required to
drive reason from its throne and plant furies
In its seat.
IN utero the human being is doubtless sub
ject to many unnatural and disturbing forces
which may give rise to arrangements in the
structure ofthe brain and other nervous cen-
tres sufficient to entail at least prednposi-
ton to the calamity 0fthese we shall not
here attempt an elucidaiion, but eonfine our
operate to produce this dire effect after birth.
One of the first customs of society which
we arraign for share {and large one it is
too) in producing the great increase Of h-
sanity is that of premotsrely forcing The young
iRteiiect. The desire TO see their children
precocious is one of the greatest sins OF
"syoung America" !" and so far astray has the
public mind been carried in this respect
that the publishers of newspapers have in
serted a department into the columns Of
their regular issue for the expressed purpose
of heraldng to the world the profound and
brilliant sayings Of infant philosophers In
our own limited experience we could pro-
duce several cases in which this pernicious
custom has resulted in insanity. II is very
seldom the case that precocious children ev-