Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-03-06
Insanity and Suicide.


is that of the cRuse or causes which are
at work in society, producing SO much
Insanity aid suicide A correct nader-
standing of this seemingly asbtfuce
question, which is interwoven with the
highest problems of human life, Cannot
be otherwise than of vast importance,
not only to those liable 10 become vic
TINS, but to society at large. Especial
" will this be true if The causes lie
within the province Of hnnan power
to prevent or even to mitigate their
effects. Permit me, therefore, to lay
before your readers a few common
sense propositions bearing directly up
on this subject.
The brain is the organ Of the mind.
Thought, reason and all the mental
and moral emotions of the mind are
| the natural functions Of the brain.
Destroy on paralyze the organ and its
funcuons cease. Weaken the Dram
and the power to perform its functions
will be impaired or overcome. From
these self evident proposition, it follows
that s.1ly and every thing operating on
tie physical frame, whose inherent
chsraeter, and it's tendency is to weak
en-, paralyze or otherwise interfere With
the fuuctions Of the brain, tends to
| injure the mind, peryert the moral
faculties AMI lead to insanity and sui
eide. Hence, if I am not greatly mis-
taken, (and il | am [ will thank any
cne of the medical profession to set me
right) ali kinds Of narcotics operate
more or less directly upon the brain,
producing stnpor, frenzy, delerirm
and insensibilitv, with powerful ten
dencs to insanity. Few persons who
have had much experience with the
sick under medical treatment but have
seen all the mental faculties Of the
mind 50 paralvzsd with morphine,
chioral, bromlne or other narcotics as
to amount to temporary inlbecllity and
complete alteration Of intellect. And
it is notorious fact of every day OBJ
seryation, that narcotics are III daily
and constant use by the great majority
of physicians. That they are the cElicf
reliance in all cases of nervousness,
iritability, restlessness, neuralgia, fever
inflammation and sleeplessness. The
mother is dosed with them, even tie
babe in her arms is not exempt from
the debaslng power OF :he brain de
stroying narcotic. Thus the intellect
ual and moral organs of the brain is
: weakened and its functions destroyed
Like the pebble rolled in the VORTEX
of the whirlpool, is constantly losing
particles from its surface, anl vii
eventually, however slowly, wear en-
tireIy away into the finest particles @
sand; so with the functions of the brail
under the use Of narcotics. 1t is only
matter Of time, and the quantlt,
used, when they will 50 weaken th
brain as to render it utterly and hope
lessly incapable of intellectual or mora
functions hopeless ruin
Since the abandonment OF blood
letting by the medical profession, TIL
rse of narcotics have been vastly O
the increase; and a number OF ney
q ones, of terrible potency have been adj
E ded 20 tie list. Under tho power Q
/. these mighty engines of mischief, TIL
e physical, mental and moral powers ar
G giving way and must inevitably sue
f cumb. Like noble ship laden wit
9 precious freight, proudly riding til
e angry pillows of u stormy ocean, til
helm creaks and snaps asuuder--al
p control is lost-she daslles on furiousl
a III her wild career-she is engulfed il
E the merciless wayes-she sinks, to ris
|, no more.
E If these facts DO true; and / vii
a thank him who can, to disprove them
narcotics are the chief cause of insanit,
by virtue of their paralyzlng effect OF
I the intellectual organs of the brain
e They are also a prolific source CT th'
: lowest debasement IN morals by paral
. yzing the emotional organs of thl
| brain, and thereby rendering then
more or less incapable Of performing
: moral functions. In cases where mar
g cotics have not overcome the power OF
t the intellect and moral organs only te
: very limited extent, the animal ant
e sensual organs are lashed into fury
/ and such gigantic power as to usutI
$ their full sway and complete contfo
: over all the nobler impulses of The
soul. COMMON SENSE.
-=~Eey-zzzzzzzsEzzssm
e The promised new departure has
+ come at last. Cleveland has been In
: stalled as President. Retrenchmen,