McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-05-15
Modern Causes of Insanity.
New York Tribune.

New York Tribune.
In the current number of The SAM
tartan Professor Hitchcock has an in
teresting paper on GA Perverted Will
as Factor in Insanity" He is of
opinion that the marked increase of
insanity of late years is largely, if not
altogether due to the rapid progress of
democratic ideas, the development of
strong indlvidualism, and the weaken
ing of respect for authority. 1t is not
to be inferred that he considers demo-
cratic ideas mischievous. but he holds
it to be often dangerous to put new
wine into old bottles. The general eff
feet of modern influences he regards as
tending to destroy self-control, wheth-
er in the pursuit of wealth or the graft
fication of appetite. Luxury offers
constant temptations to the present
generation, and where there is no train
ing to furnish basis of self restraint,
excess in many directions is to be ap.
pretended. Again, sself-control is
weakened, especially in our American
public, by disregard or disesteem of
law and authority. The democratic
idea, the intense individualism that
permeates the body polite as does our
blood the body, is a demoralizer to a
sound mental condition. The disre-
spect for civil law, as manifested by
manv who only seem to see in it red
tape and needless formality, is good
seed of insanity.
Professor Hitchcock might have gone
further back in tracing the develop
ments of the insane neurosis. 1t is
highly probable that those parents
who, through mistaken notions of edu-
cation, permit their children to grow
up ignorant of self-surrender, disci-
pline and restraint, are encouraging in
them the tendencies to excess which in
later life may issue in insanity. 1t is
indeed a patent fact that the power of
self control is less cultivated at present
than formerly. Our forefathers held
many hard and barbarous beliefs, but
there was one belief of theirs which we
should have done well to retain, name
ly, the conviction that serious and pro-
ionged discipline is necessary to the
building up of sound and self sustain
ing manhood. In these days the last
lesson impaired is that of obedience,
yet it is certain that they who cannot
obey will never know how to rule, and
without self-control the finest natural
abilities may be worse than wasted.
The diseases of to-day are largely the
products of profuse expenditure OF
vitality. Extravaganza in physical
outlay is one of the most serious vices
of the time. Nervous and cerebral ex-
haustion follow these courses, and at
short intervals our most active and
energetic men drop out of the race, and
are consigned to the asylum or the
grave.
When the tendency to insanity is the
effect of new ideas upon sluggish men,
talities, which are confused rather than
enlightened by the impact, it is proba-
BILE that nothing can be done. In such
cases natures law of the survival of
the fittest must operate, and such as
are incapable of improvement must
perish. But with regard to the stronger
natures that 90 to excess because of
defective training and the force of ex-
ternal stimulants, it is not useless to
speak words of warning. Nature will
be avenged for violation of her laws,
and those who exhaust their limited
stock of vitality in youth and middle
life will be denied the restful old age
to which they vainly looked forward.
They will die in harness. They will
drop even before they have reached
Mount Pisgah. The parents who think
it philosophical to withhold all disci-
pline and training in self-control from
their children, will do well to reflect
that, far from fitting them for an amp.
Ter manhood and womanhood by these
means, they are preparing them fol
disaster, misfortune and failure, de-
priving them of the most indispensable
defence and protection against the dis
tracing influences of our fast and
feverlsh modern life.