The New York herald., 1878-06-17
IN S A N l. t Y .
Rapid Increase Of Mental Disorders
Here and Abroad.
THE APPARENT CAUSES
Opinions and Reports of Experts on the
Spread Of Lunacy.

within the past few years the steady increase In
he number OF commitments TO hospitals ana asyums
Ior mental diseases has attracted general attention
An examination oil the yearly reports OF the principal
asyiums OF the country shows that during the past
nva years or moro there has been pretty regular n-
crease in iho ratio OF persons 10 the popula
tion and as stated in report for 1871 OF the VIII
lard Asylum the Insane that tho increase Is out
OF proportion 10 that OF population and seems TO he
confined to the dependent and middng classes E"
In England and Walos tho ratio, OF insane 10 the
population is TO 373; in Massachusetts,, 10 423;
New York, TO 5s7; Illinois, TO s66, and Iowa, 70
Lloi. Tins shows that the density OF population has
more or less prcdispcsing effect, producing, as u
tccdcdiy does deteriorating influence on
The human race, morally and physically. The
Increase in the number oi insane IN
The State Of New York for tho past
suartcr OF century is over ono hundred per cent,
and according TO experts in mental diseases, this In
crease Is confined TO any particular sections or
the state, but IS moro tr less general II the differ
ent counties are examined the ratio OF insane TO
every 10 900 Of the population would be as foows:-
Ontario, 26: New York 20; SUFFOLK 25; Schuyler %
Albany a2 Cattaraugus 2l; Duchess. II. and so on
down the scale Hamilton ana Rocklnnd' counties
having the lowest ratio, being only Q.
CAUSES MENTAL DISEASE
No ono who has been a constant reader OF tho daily
papers for the past icw years fail to havo been
impressed with the great increase the reports OF
yuic dos homicides and the commitments oil alleged
mnatics 10 tho different city ana county asylums
While much OF this is directly due 10 the rapid in.
crease OF the population OF New York and neighoor-
ing cities there must be other for the dis
ease al work Increase o population brings with
Il overcrowding, disease producing surroundings,
bad sanitary arrangements, which, by iowcr-
ing the tone OF the people, both in moral
as well physical point OF view, directly predis-
poses Tie very poor and mddling classes 10 mental
disease Dr. Tuke, wcil-known London alicnisi, has
written work under ihc tito OF .Insanty In Ancient
and Modern Life" In this he claboratcly invcsti-
gates the causes OF mental diseases Great Britain,
where tho increase OF lunatcs has been enormously
large during past halt century. After careful
animation the Statistics showing that the number
Of insane people confined in asylums in England and
Scotland Al present time reaches &C 636. Dr. Tuke
concludes the principal causes OF mental disease
II the present time arc-Firs intoxlcation, incind
Ing the action OF alcohol and allied stimulants not
only In the individuals taking thcm 10 excess, but
upon hts or her offspring, whose Weakness produces
that detective nourlsnment leading as Is does
10 exhaustion and malputrision OF the nervous
centres causes degcneracy OF the race tho evidence
Of which can DO seen IN large insucien, led popu-
lntions Closely allied 10 this Dr. uke considers bad
sanitary arrangements and overcrowdiug in nithy
dwellings,. Under the third class oi causes he cen.
Bders moral Influences, sparty mixed In character,
which aeprcss the emotions profoundly, rs
D diss0ute liic depravcd habits domestic sorrow or
misery commercial speculatons and losses, religious
excitement disappoiptmeDts IN love ana general
WORK. Under fourth ard last head 10 considered
intellectual strain cause OF insanity, which he
hoius be the least frequent Of all causes II
iped alone.
An examination OF tns reports OF tho principal Ia.
patio Asylums IN this country, public and private,
confirms . very great extcst the observations Of
Dr. Tuke made England.
INSANE WOMEN.
In tho report OF Dr. Parsons the Medical Supern.
tendent OF tho City Lunatlc Asylum for -Fe msles,
1871 10 given the annual iucrease tho num0sr OF
patients In This asylum during the past ton years.
the tabio rs us foliows:--
umIer oT rfmbs 0r Dereru