The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-01-16
GkmGntetligetrer.
The Insane Asylum Report--Curious
Fact In Regard 10 Farmers.

The Insane Asylum Reports. Curious
Fact In Regard 10 Farmers.
The tenth annual report of the Super
Intendent Of the West Virginia Insane
Asylum has been published. It shows
that there are now in the institution 2S4
patients; that OF these 15l are males and
1888 females. 1t also shows that up to
this time $50 persons have been admitted
since the founding oil the institution, and
that 3S Of them were admitted during the
last year. Ohio county has at present
"a representatives-the largest delegation
Of any county In the State. And yet the
largest per cent Of inmates do not come
from the cities and towns by any means.
On the contrary, out Of the 151 males
100 are Iarmers-an astonishing fact
when we reflect that agricultural
pursuits have always been considered
pre.eminently healthiul. All other en-
ployments within the State furnish barely
forty-fve representatives. And what is
true Of the males Is perhaps true Of the
females, although we do not know this 10
be fact. We suspect, however, that de.
cided majority Of the female patients arc
farmers wives and daughters. And il
we mistake not these facts in regard 10
both males and iemals are not peculiar to
the West Virginia Asylum, but chsrac-
terize the reports Of several others institu.
tlons throughout the country, especially
in the West. There must therefore be
some general principle at work to produce
this common result: What this principle
Is must be q curious study for the
physicians and vital statisticians. The
figures OF the latter show that farmers are
not q long lived class as compared with
many others. They show, for instance,
that men engaged in. intellectual pursuits
live longer than almost any other class,
Notwithstanding their supposed seden-
tary and confined habits Of life. II
we mistake not, authors stand very high
on the list of aged persons, II not at the
top. Then come clergymen, lawyers,
college professors, and those whose occu.
pations closely sssimilate to these. Even
physicians and editors outlive farmers,
Notwithstanding they turn night into day
and keep such irregular hours. The
farmers, In fact, stand well down on the
list Of occupations that are conducive to
longevity. And as we said above, there
must be some reason for this. We are
told in Holy Writ that "trouble does not
spring out OF the ground" but In the case
Of farmers 1t looks as II 1t did. Famil-
iarity with Mother Earth is at all events
not much OF protection TO them against
i'll health. Notwithstanding they have
the sun and the air, the carly and the
latter rain, they wither and die in ad.
vance Of the tOilers in many other depart.
ments of labor. II any one wants TO see
tresh, healthy, well preserved, elastic,
bright and CHEEKY old people, who walk
erect and who have the bloom of youth
still on their faces, he will find vastly
more OF them In the cities and towns than
In the country. This Ia fact that all
travellers have noticed and there must be
some reason in It. While cities are, in
the language Of Mr.. JEFFERSON, "sores
upon the body polite" in that they bring
together and breed SO much that Is
dangerous to the physical and moral
health Of mankind, yet 1t is nevertheless
true that out Of their population they
furnish certain proportion Of the healthi-
eat people In both respects in the world.
Perhaps 1t would be just about true to
say that cities and towns furnish complete
specimens OF two classes Of humanity,
viz: the most noble and ignoble Of our
race. But without discussing this point
in this connection, We may state what is
now well recognized feet in regard to
healthiulness Of both body and mind, and
it Is that the animal, intellectual and
moral functions OF human beings are
brought to their highest perfection in a
state OF combination, and that wherever
men and women can enjoy maxi
mum OF these advantages there they
deVelope, not only tendency to Ion.
geVitY but to unusual mental strength at
The advanced stages Of life. For instance,
Is much more common in the higher
walks Of life to see age and physical and
mental strength going together than in
tne ordinary walks. We might cite many
Illustrations of this fact. We might point
to GuIzoT, the great French historian
and philosopher, who, at the age Of So,
was the other day offered the ministershin
to England. We might cite the case Of |
his illustrious countryman, TuIERs, tho
historian and publicist, who, although 80
years old, and renowned as man Of let
ters for half century past, Is still a Wig
orous and active leader in French politics.
We might also cite the well known cases
Of Pope PIUS, HuMBoLDr, BRouaHAM,
FALMERsToN, RUSSELL, and other such
European celebrities, and likewise the
cases Of our Judges Of the Supreme Court
o. the United States, especially a man
like Chief Justice TANEY who was a
hard worker and clear thinker at 81;
saying nothing about Mr.. CUSHING, who
az "a was nominated for career in the
same position. Such instances, and the long