The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1861-12-26
Female insanity.

In the report Of the Insane Asylum,
at Hartford, We fud the following
statements as to female insanity and its
causes. viii farmers take notioe2
"Although generally more difficult to
control, they are, think, more durable
than the other sex; their homo attach
ments arc stronger, they realize moro
fully the Importance Of their services in
the circle Of home duties, and naturally
respond more readily TO our efforts to
induce q more perfect Belf-control as
the first step towards recovery. They
arc also more impressible; they more
kecnly aud readily appreciate the gem
|ial and soothing influences Of those
means of moral treatment to which l
have so frequently alluded, and upon
which I 80 greatly depend The use
Of the needle, and the larger number Of
domestic female employments, gives
them also a greater variety at least Of
passing occupation. All this is an il
iustration of the greater Importance
and efficiency Of woman in her especial
element, that sphere Of boundless in
hueuce-home
Cover three thousand cases Of finsani-
ty have come under my direct care and
observation. Tn a large proportion Of
these cases I have found that the re-
mote predisposing causes of insanity
could be plainly traced to the malign
influences of childhood. When tho
duty of making home wise and happy
shall be better realized, we shall have in
our land less Of vice and crime, and
much less of insanity. The neglect Of
physical training, and the imperfect
physical development which follows,
consequent to this neglect, are striking
I ly evident in many of our female pa
/ tients. The various causes which are
reported to me, as the sources of disease,
ald which are classified in the tables
under the head of ill health intense
mental and bodily effort, grief do
mestir u1happiness, etc, may very fire.
qu9ntly be traced, in their primary in
fuences, to tho one cause of a want Of
physical stamina
"Of the one hundred and eighty-sev-
en- female patients admitted during the
three years, thirty-four per cent. we're
the wives Of farmers and mechanics
quite an undue proportion Of the COM
parative number Of these classes in the
community. The consideration Of the
causes which led to this most natural
result, showed that between nursing
tho accumulation of household duties
and drudgory, and the miserable, short
sighted economy, which often led the
husband to refrain from supplying the
necessary domestic assistance, the poor
heart. broken and discouraged wife has
lost in turn her appetite, her rest, and
her strength; her nervous system had
become prostrated, and, sinking under
the burdens she had sought refuge in
the Retreat One of our worthy female
patients remarked one day to q lady,
Only think of it DR.. Butler is keeping
me here, and 1 have six children and
fourteen cows to take care Of at home
Twenty excellent reasons for your re-
naming here till you are cured, was
the timely answer, Thoy were the
twenty reasons which had made her in
sane. Parents and teachers both should
inculcate upon children Of both sexes,
the Importance Of health bringing eX-
eroises Boys need but little urgency,
but girls should be compelled to take
it,"