St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-01-12
Insanity.
n. o. states.

The last census is, it is claimed, morc
! full and accurate than any previous one
regarding the defective classes" in the
! United States. Some of the statistics
present many curious and interesting
facts, especially 5hose regarding the
comparison of the growth of insanity
with the growth or population, and the
proportion of insane to each class OF
population. Recently a very exhaustive
paper on this subject was read before
| the American Public Health Association
| by Or. Pratt, of Michigan, who has de-
| duced his facts and arguments from a
study of the census tables for the past
| thirty years. From the Doctors paper it
is learned that from 1850 to 1860, the
/ foreign born population increased near
| " 100 per cent. From 1860 to 1870 there
was an increase of foreign born of only
80 per cent lowing to the wary, while
the insane of this class increased nearly
100 per cent. From 1870 to 1880 the for
eign born increased less than 80 per
cent, but the insane increased $50 per
cent.
On the other hand, the proportion of
native insane to native population re
mained nearly the same in 1850, 1860
and 1870, aud it is found from the ag-
gregates of 1880 that the native insane
amounted to one in 662 of native pOpu-
lation, while the foreign born insane
were one to $50 of foreign-boru pOpula-
tiOn. Thus it will be seen that the pro-
portionate predominance of the foreign
born insane inhabitants of this country
over the native insane is large and
startling. 1t is needless to consider the
reasons of this remarkable disparity !;
many causes will readily suggest them
selves to the minds of thoughtful read
ers.
From the carefully analyzed tables
presented by DR.. Pratt significant de-
ductions are made concerning the pro-
portion of insane population in the
Northern and Southern States among
native white, foreign born and colOrod
races, These show that insanity among
the three classes mentioned is less pre-
valent, prOpOrtionateiy at the South
than at the North. At the North the
proportion of insane to native white
population is in 597; at the South, in
$50; among the foreign born the pro-
portion of insane is / in 248 at the North
and 1 in 283 at the South among the
colOred races the proportion in the
Northern States is in 545, and in 1885
in the Southern States. The large pro-
portion of insanity among the cOlOred
race in the Northern States sas.compared
with that in the Southern States is note.
worthy. The average proportion of in
sanity among native whites in the entire
United States is in 6t8; among foreign
whites, in $50, and among the colored
races in 1097-the total average for the
entire country, OF all population, is / in
545 19-100.
From the above well authenticated,
indisputable statistics tits learned that
the reckless, hot-headed" Southern
white man is less likely to loose his rea-
son than the cool, calculating Northern
er; and that thereis a much less pro-
portion of demented, defective people
among the poor, down-frOdden negroes
OF the South than among their hamper
ed colored brethren, who enjoy the SUI
perior advantages of Northern enlight-
eminent and bask in the sunshine of
Northern favor and protection.