Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1883-03-10
STRIKING CENSUS RETURNS.
Statistics of Insanity, IdIocy, blindness,
Pauperism, Crime and Death.

STKlklAG CENSUS RETURNS.
Statistics of Insanity, IdIocy, blindness,
Pauperism, Crime and Death.
The compendium of the "Tenth
Census" volume of 1869 pages, con-
tains, among other things, summary
of the report Of Mr.. Frederick II.
Wines upon the defective, dependent,
and delinquent classes. The most
striking result of the work was the ap-
parently great increase in the number
Of those included in the three classes
named. The number of insane persons
idiots, blind persons, and deaf-mutes,
as shown by the several censuses, was
5O,994 in 1850; 5S,451 in 1860; 1854
in 1870, and 251, ,69S in 1880. In other
words, although the population has
little more than doubled in thirty
years, the number of defective persons
returned is apparently nearly five times
as great as it was thirty years ago.
The increase of population between
1870 and 1880 was only thirty per
cent, while the apparent increase of
these defective classes was 155 per
cent. While there were only 1854 de-
fective persons in each million in 1870.
there were 5018 in each million in
1880. Mr.. Wines says that it is i'm
possible to believe that there has, in
fact, been so great an increase. Either
the enumeration in 1880 was excessive
or the enumeration in 1870 was incom-
plete. The bureau was assisted in the
work by $4,000 physicians. and Mr..
Wines believes that a much more per-
feet enumeration of the defective
classes, especially of the insane and
idiotic, has been secured than was ever
before presented in the history OF this
OF any other nation. Of the 9l,997 in
sane persons forty-four per cent. were
in hospitals and asylums; of 1886
idiots three per cent. were in training
schools for the feeble-minded; of 46,920
blind persons, less than four and half
per cent. were in schools and indus
trial homes for the blind, and 33,S70
mutes, nearly sixteen per cent, were in
schools established for them. OF the
deaf persons, one-half were between
tho ages of five and twenty-one. but
not moro than one sixth of the blind
were between those ages.
1t appears that insanity attacks
women more frequently than it doe:
men, but men on the other hand are
more liable to be idiotic, blind or deaf
The negro population is much more
liable to idiocy than insanity. Both
the negro and the foreign population
are singularly more liable to blindness
than to deafness. The tendency of the
foreign population to insanity is
especially worthy Of attention. "1'
is startling to know says Mr.
Wines, "that of 100000 of in
habitants, over 100000 are either insane
idiots, deft-mutes, or blind, or are in
mates of prisons, reformatories, or poor
houses. If to those we add the out
door poor and the inmates of private
charitable institutions, the number will
swell to nearly or quite 100000, or on
per cent. of the total population. w
cannot begin too soon or prosecute to
vigorously the inquiry into the cause
of the prevalence of these evils. whic
are like a canker at the heart of all OH
J prosperity"
The number of paupers enumerate
in almshouses was 67067, and tn
number of prisoners in confnemen
was 59,255. There were 1l,340 in
: mates OF refarmatories for the young
! Of the prisoners 10000 are maintaine
in idleness.
The death-rate of the United States
as established by the number of death
7 recorded, was fifteen, one to the thous
and, rate decidedly higher than thos
, given in the censuses of 1860 and 1877
This does not indicate, however, an
, actual increase in the rate, but show
that the returns in 1880 were NOR
| n
. complete. Adding estimates of def
ciences, the agent in charge estimate
the actual death-rate at somewhere be
, tween seventeen and eighteen pc
, thousand. The rate in England in tn
: same year was twenty and half. 0
the total number of deaths reported
which was 756, 1893, the cause in 1885
, cases was consumption; diphtheri
caused 39,39S Deaths; enteric or t.
. phoid fever, 2,905; malarial fever, 20
261, and accidents or injuries, 1888.
The death-rate of the colored race
much greater than that of the white.
U Horrible Tragedy.