New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-06-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

ptrrr NJ
etc syo DIP. 2iS. c. P. Putnams sons
,asn,,,v ia the penoric term which IL now en-
slowed 70 designate the various mental diseases
COMMONLY known as lunacy, madness, arrangement
.,,-,atior alteration. mania, delirium, frenzy
,,nonooaua. and demeDtia. Its classification as
disease at all Is modern idea and IS result OF tue
mora recent knowledge Of mental disorders wnlch
we have acquired. 1t is well known that the an
clients. In common with man in his savage state'
REGARDED the more violent forms OF insanity as
deuoniacal poesessions and the hapless victims OF
snch possessions were looked pp9n with fear and
horror by their friends rs hopelessly cut OIL from
the human family. 1t is almost certain that the
aeroniacs who were brought to Christ to be cured
,v,,re merely persons who were laboring under some
f,Rm ,f insanity and who were. in many Instances,
cured by the subtle and mysterious exercise OF HIS
personnel magnetism We know also that certain
forms of deliium aud frenzy were OF old considered
as audiences of divine inspiration. The lncohsr-
ant nptternes OF q wretched lunaCic have thus
been taken for the voice of god speaking TO man.
And so it was decided by few accidental cireuin-
stances whether an insane man was 70 'e res"lucu
as Qodlike or de vilsh One or the other ne must No.
And though to-day these picturesque falsehoodS
of superstition have been disspated py " pe''o'
knowIedge yet even now the popular view OF IN
sanity ia that il IL at least something very dlerent
1you any ordinary malady.. That the victim IS
veritable patient needing medical attendance ana
careful nursing that he is no moro responsible 1Or
his malady than the numerous sufferers from other
dkeases and that, were It's causes ana remedy
known as they possibly VIII be known IN the
future 1t would cease TO be mysterious, are facts
which have MS yet not penetrated much outside the
circle of the medical profession.
The book before us is Interesting as register OF
ol.nu thap gpg "A
prevention of insanity. Dr. Stearns brings to- bear
upon his task large fund Of practical experience
IN the care and management of the insane; ana he
gives the best ascertained facts in the case clearly
and forclbly After stating that there are indlea-
tious TO show that insanity increasing, he warns
Is against taking the increased demand for insane
hospitals az q proof of this. Owing to the moro
general recognition of insanity as disease 1t fol-
lows that many of the harmless insanes who were
formerly kept at home. now sent to hospitals to
be cured. DIR. SteaTns finds in our modern hlgh
pressure civilization one Of the most potent causes
of the increase of insanity. lie lays it down as
dictum that the higher the mental development the
greater the strain put upon it, and consequently
the greater the dangerof its breaking down alto
oetber. II wDud seem that insanity is, therefore,
one of the forms of tribute which we rust pay for
the benefits and blessings of modern civilization.
Among the aboriginal Indians IL Is said, insanity Is
almost unknown certainly it's an obvious TACT
that savage races as rule are less subject to this
disorder than civilized races.
Probably the uost interesting portions of the book
are the three chapters dealing with education in its
relation TO insanity. Speaking Of what may he ac-
complished by education, the author says:
We may anticipate successful effort in the pre-
ventiou Of insanity in larger appreciation Of the
importance of individuality IN giving lnstructIon'
The teacher Will have fewer nanloer OF pap,ls
C.,l -, tn str
tendencies, both physical and mental, Oh each one
Instead of having all together pass through reg
tar routine of education. with little or no reference
TO mental constitution, the system Will be I'D some
measure adapted to the present, and whas may al-
pear to be the future, requirements OF each scoar
There will be less Importance given TO educat9n OF
the brain by means of books only for all children.
and larger Importance 10 industrial edueatloh
Inasmueh as the large majority OF the members OF
societv must obtain che requirements of living by
industrial operations. society WIN appreGlate uoIe
fully the importance, not only 10 ltsei Oul 10 'he
individual, OF so educating each person thaI ne may
be self-supportiug ana consequently less liable TO
become u diseased and dependent meuoer OF IT.
larger Importance will be gwen. III methods OF edu
cation at homo to uculcatng and enforcing ohedI.
ence 10 laws and regulations TINS essential hot
only to the interests OF society, put espeeiag 10
those of the individual in his Relations TO the laws OF
health. Man is endowed not only with intellect
but with a will in the direction and use OF ~, ana III
becomes his duty and essential 10 BIS interests 10
ind ont those courses of conduct winch will lead to
health. In a considerable degree he Is capable OF
regulating his condnct so as to be In harmony win
pecpssity of obedience while young, aud how 10
obey easily the lesson becomes one very difficult TO
learn in later life, and he Is IN great danger oil
never learning it.
education III relation TO physiology and heTedity;
especay so far they relate TO the institution OF
the family. As the weli-being OF both society ana
the individual depends so largely on that Oh the
family knowledge OF the laws OF heledlty VIII I've
considered as essential to eli persons who onter Into
the relation OF marriage, that tendencies toward
diseases may be aU least in some measure avoided.
More prominence has in recent years been given
to improved methods OF caring for the insane, aud
many needed reforus the old methods bavc been
instituted The pathology of insanity, though yet
far from being perfect is making rapid advances
But it Is not enough TO know how to take care oil
the insane and the best means Of curing them. If
prevention be better than cure. 1t is vastly more
Important to get at the and eliminate them.
Modern life has abnormally developed some iacul-
ties and crippled others. Our systems OF education
ana training have not kept pace with our progress
in other directions. and in many cases they entirely
fail to fit the mind for tho strain that put upon 1T
in mature life Il not wonderful that the eduea-
ton which, instead Of being healthy growth OF
mind and body IS like the forced growth OF the hot
house. should ia the sterile atmosphere OF TIE world
end ia madness and death.
No treatise on insanity would be complete with
out consideration of the effects upon the brain OF
alcohol and tobacco. DR.. Stearns bears faithful
witness 20 their deleterions effects, especially upon
the Young. "When," he says, the young become
more generally educated ID reference 10 the phys-
illogical vects of alcohol, and more tsy appreciate
the fact that thcy O not with those primarily
concerned, but pass over from the individual to his
family and 10 society shat tho amount Of disease
aud suffering to both from this EVIL ale SO much
greater than from any Other-nay had almost
written from ala others together-extendiug IA tie
family to the third and fourth generations ire
quently, in the forms Of insanity and ihocy aud
IN society 10 ignorance, poverty. crime and larger
expenditure OF charity than for all other forms OF
eyil-it certain shall be justified in my pro-
pLecy that the. day cannot be far distant when