Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1867-01-26
The Causes of Insanity

The causes of insanity are q sore puzzle
to those who look for some easy method
of solving onelof the most intricate ques-
| tions with which medical men are called
upon to deal. they look into their books
treating especially of Insanity. and into
I the reports of Hospitals for the insane,
and find long list of names where9theY
I bad hoped to find a few principal facts,
not remembering that those Who, made
such lists. or tables arc compelled torrely
for their Information, in the great major
ity of cases, on the relatives. or friends,
whose feelings too often warp their iudg7
ment, and powers of observation These
lists are almost uniformly headed. @tassign-
ed causes''5of insanity and subsequent
observations and examinations enable the
physician te correct any error, but that
correction for Obvious reasons cannot be
shown in the tables. .''' y7sa'A' ::
] Moreover, very few eases of insanity
can strictly be said to have had their or
iginin'one cause simply; more trequent-
llythe result is to be traced back, two or
more, causes acting in conjYnctioc, Or at
successive periods; and herein we find the
necessity Of distinction, 50 often made by
medical writers, into pre-disPosih3 and
exciting causes 70 .as's.s ~ 4oa.qa oiiz -
"a The pre-disposing areathose which act
ING through the longer or shorter space
of time, tend to disorder the ners oilst sys-
ten to such an extent, that some new Or
exciting cause beng added, the attack Of
insanity is fully and often suddenly de-
reioped.i1 SSssO &sdaUTD e g.
9" Like consumption and some other dis
eases, Insanity, is transmitted from one
generation to. another, and thus many in-l
dividuals inherit a constitution which
contains germs, easily Developed by var
ious favoring influences, into morbid
growth and often into deadly fruit. Many
persons, who may not be insane, transmit
to their children as atheresult OF their If.
regular lives and bad Practices ,S1cohstitu-
stionss pre7disposed to various nervous dfsi
orders. and among these ipsanltVFis too
often to be found. 1t is annafter, not by
any any means difficult to pro vethat the fol-
lies ahdvices ofo generator may Ge
traced in the diseases. vf another and s1te-
,ceeding generation, If, rs sfhg:nost ac--
cura.e Investigations haverleafIy Shown,
the greater proportion of IDIOTS sand I'm be-
cilcsa to he tiacetpto thearpnken hab.
itsIof one or both parents, 1t 1saneS forced
inference to draw, that, the nervous con-
stitution, pre-disposing to insanity, may
also be traced to similar origin. But,
even where no hereditary tendency may
be found, thecourse oflife, the indulgence
in various improper habits and practices,
the constant excitement in, which some
live. and the irregular manner Of eating
and sleeping, with a singular Disregard
Of all hvgeine laws, which many persons
pleersistcntly le maintain, will surely place
any constitution in a state very u1flyor-
able to resist the attacks o.. encroach-
meets of disease. a4Great surprise is often
{ manifested at the apparently sudden out
break of insanity in any particular. lndi=
yidual. but could it be known that, for
months or even years, that individual had
been addicted to vices which have grad
uaiIv undermined the nervous system,
the wonder would be that it had not oc-
cured sooner Could Those who have
had the opportunity of investigating cas-
es of insanity, tell only a small part OF
what they have discovered, men would
stand aghast at the fearful reyelafion.-
Unfortunately men do not give heed TO
these admonitions, but go on with the
impression, that their minds or their ner-
ly9ous system. are strong enough to resist
such influences. But though the system
may thus be pre-disposed by various IN
fuences, some directly acting cause, pro
ducing vivid impression, comes IN to
hasten the final catastrophe. The tram
may be all layed but-the asparkaof lire Is
required to effect the explosion, EsgTl
sdj