Daily national Democrat., 1859-02-27
The Insane.

We have before US report Of the condi-
tion of the Indiana Hospital for the Insane,
for the year just past The Legislature of
1857 adjourned without making any appro-
priation for the support Of the Hospital, and
the patients had to be returned to their
friends or to the counties whence they came,
there to be lodged in jails or pocr-houses.
The Asylum Board took the responsibility in
October OF that year, of re opening the Hos
pital, raising money upon the credit of the
State, on the supposition that the Legisa-
ture would foot the bills in due time, which
was done
1t is quite evident that the Asy lum is well
managed, from the fact that out of 1850
patients received, since the establishment of
the institution, 724, or nearly one half, have
been cured, and sent back to society and
their friends.
The Asylum labors under one great disad-
vantage, and that is that it is too small.
Thirty four patients were refused, on this
account, admittance during the last year.
One popularity about this Hopital is, that
those persons only are allowed admittance
who are in the very worst stages of insanity.
Consequently hundreds are excluded who are
in need Of attention, and who ought to be
taken care of Application was made to the
Legislature of Indiana to remove this restric-
tion, but what action was taken upon it we
have not learned.
The statistics afforded by this report are
of deeply interesting character. The num-
Der Of insane who have become SO from poi
soned liquors is fearful. "We attribute"
says the report, "the frequent occurrence of
insanity from Incorporate drinking, to the
strychnne, fish berries and other poisonous
drugs used in the adulteration of the various
alcoholic preparations"
1t is remarked that in those districts where
summer and antumnal diseases prevail, there
are more cases of insanity arising from phys
ical causes, than in healthier localities and
that in those places where the intellectual
faculties are more generally exercised, there
are more cases arising from "moral causes
that is to say from disappointments in busi-
ness religious excitements, &c., &c.
Hereditary insanity enters largely into the
aggregate amount-a secret mental taint
which is liable to manifest itself under the
most favored and happy circumstances of
life; and the intermarriage of blood relations
is another fruitful cause of mental aberra-
tions. 1--WE wish not" says the report, ito
be understood as asserting that in all inter
marriages with blood relations there is aber.
ration or eccentricity of intellect transmitted
to offspring, or that the physical system in
every instance is deficient, but we aver that
statistics and our own observations sustain
the opinion that such intermarriages have
produced a greater proportion of insane, as
well as a greater proportion of persons de.
fective in seeing and hearing, than promiscu-
GUS intermarriages have done"
There is another fearfully frequent cause
of insanity set forth in the report which we
refrain from mentioning. But it calls loudly
upon parents and others who have charge of
the young, to carefully guard them against
the contraction of a habit which is almost
always formed, if at all, in early youth. and
which usually carries its victim rapidly to
dishonered grave or launches him or her into
the vortex of insanity or hopeless mental
imbecility.
Annual cost of keeping and treating the in
sane in the Indiana Hospital, is $lS5 for each
they can be kept for in the County poor.
houses or jails.