Omaha daily bee., 1883-08-01
ABOUT INSANITY.
Lunatics Both In and Out OF Asylums
Causes and Symptoms of I'm
sound Minds.

Nashville CTcnn.) American.
''That mar is a candidate for an insane
asylum
So said a gentleman who has had con-
siderable experience in the leading crazy
houses in the country of an apparently
rational man, who had been detailing
him all manner of grievances, real or al
legged, in the corridor of one of the hotels
of this city yesterday.
"How can you tellY' inquired a re-
porter, eager for an item.
"One of the surest indications of in
sanity, either actual or incipient, is when
IN individual is under theimpression that
the whole world has gone back on him,
or her, and that society in general is out
of gear. The relatives of such an one are
generally presumed by him or her to be
most out of joint"
care there any more such Individuals
Several. For instance, a crank is
usually exceedingly quiet until, say, about
4 p. m. From hat time until the follow
ing morning it is not difficult to detect
that his mind is deranged. He sleeps
little, and is prone to extraordinary ac-
tions during the night. But it does not
follow that he is always noisy. Oftenhis
eccentric doings are performed with great
stealth"
"Do you consider that insanity is on
the increase in this country"
Statistics plainly prove that it is"
''To what is mental arrangement
due2"
''To a variety of causes; chiefly excess
and its extreme poverty. Then overtax'
alton of the brain, alco hol, and religious
excitement are largely responsible for it.
In my opinion there are fewer congenital
idiots than is generally supposed. Neglect
of many an infant, and its consequent
idiocy, too frequently is the cloak of con
genital insanity thrown over it,"
Gen you tell me in what religious de-
nominations lunatics prevail| asked the
reporter.
81 could do 80; but as / am not will,
ing you should create strife by publishing
the same, | must decline to do so. How
ever, ] think / can tell you in what de
nomination they do not exist, and that il
among the society of Friends. In TIL,
whole course of my experience j have
never met with a crazy Quaker. A crazy
Quaker is probably as rare a bird as thu
dodo."
"How is this?"
Quaker is neither addicted to excesse
nor does he unduly excite himself. III
keeps his body under control-how is /
st. Paul puts it?-and is content TO tax
things at they come, If you could go t
sleep now, and wake up in two hundre,
years, yon would, in my humble opinion
find that the world had been considerabl
leavened with Quaker principles, Me
are beginning to see that it is to exces
and excitement that insanity is mainl
due, and it is only natural to believe tina
society will eventually take steps to pre-
vent itself from being burdened wit
hordes of pauper imbeciles, as it is a
ready taking steps to relieve itself of tn
hordes of drunken sots. The dude" an
such incipient and insiped imbecils wi
) be things of the past, or nearly so, in
! couple of centuries"
/ SIS insanity curablel'
{ mot a few cases may be temporarily
{ not permanently cured by quiet employ
5 ment, and no employment so beneficial q
that to be had in the country good phys
| ical work. A moderate and healthy die