Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-12-04
Modern Insanity.
New York G2aphic,l

SpOnuenJ calls aJJenJlOn 10 u lOTIn
of insanity so marked as 70 receive
a special designation as the New
England type. 1t is characterized
by intensity. 1t is recognized by
its acute nervous excitement and a
tendency to self-destruction. Theirs
is more brain activity in it than in
ordinary forms of arrangement.
Some of the French reports show
growing tendency in the same
direction in that country, and per-
haps it is one Of the results Of mo
dern life, which is so largely mental
and sympathetic in its character
istics. An intellectual people, living
at a period Of remarkable intellec-
tual activity and excitement, taking
recreation of an intellectual form
from the theater and novel and ly-
+ceum, will naturally break down at
the point where the greatest strain
comes. And the point to be spe-
cially guarded against in our sys-
tens Of education and life habits is
the too violent or continuous ten
sions of the intellect, either in
study, business, politics or social
excitements. The muscular side
of life. the sentimental side Of hui
man nature, should have an
anpler provision and receive
more attention than we have
made for them. The brain
must be balanced by biceps, and
the exercise of the heart is more
important for health and happiness
than the undue exercise Of the In
tellect in any direction. Statistics
show that insanity is rapidly in.
creasing in modern life, and per
haps the specific form it is taking
in Massachusetts, indicates the prin'
cipal cause of its increase. 1t il
sad to think that a small State likC
Massachusetts, has 1000 insane peo
pie in it. At the modern Englisl
rate of valuation these insane peo
pie represent "a total of $500, 900
and when the building now in pro
) cess Of erection for their treatmen
are completed they will represent
, cost of IS, 3,500,0OO. But sue
mathematical calculations Of cos
and care provoke rather than satisf!
We scorn all financial estimates Q
g the value of man or woman. VIII
g can tell the worth Of u father to
2 family dependent on his supper
and oversight? What figures ca
represent the value of a mother t
her little ones, or a devoted wife
;, her husband, or a beautiful an
brilliant daughter just unfOldin
into womanhood? The preventive
of insanity in modern life d
g not begin to receive the Al
i. tention they deserve. Every fe'
d months the community is startled b
b some fresh statement of inhumar
ity to the patients of insane asl
q lums. In some instances thes
n complaints are well founded, an
!. each new outrage on this class {
. helpless dependents elicits an on
burst of public Indignation. Br
what's far better for society at larg
$ than any rhetorical indignation
y sentimental sympathy is the il
y creasing attention the ablest phys
" clans in this country and EurOI
8 are giving to every form of ment
arrangement, and the light the
,e are throwing on the proper trea
At ment of all diseases of the min
at 1t is cheering fact that about a
i. that has been done to alleviate IL
II. condition of this unfortunate cla
of sufferers, and eventually restol
:. them to themselves again, has bee
> accomplished within the recollet
ton Of living physicians. What hi
81 been done for tbe insane with
i fifty years, when they were cage
'e as wild beasts and chained in Gu
houses and immured in dungeon
IN encourages the hope that it wi
d eventually be ranked as one of Il
,e generally curable disorders Of t
human system. But to reduce IL
10 insanity in modern society to til
y lowest possible point is far mo-
difficult yet far more importar
undertaking.