The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-01-03

Why Do Men Go Mad?
Modern Fast Life Filling the Insane Asy
lssasss.
OPINIONS OF EMINENT DOCTORS.
NEW YORK Nov.

lsEEss.
OPINIONS OF EMINENT DOCTORS.
New YORK. Nov. Il.
Robert Garrett. BARLEY Campbell Chas
Johnes, Amos Learned, Joe Dion--tht
business man, the play wright, the broker
the journalist, the expert billiard PLAYER
gone insane: state, city and private asy
lums crowded with crazy men and women
Why is it? Does the fault lie in our way
of living, are brains growing weaker, OF
is it an inevitable tendency and evil of the
age? These are the questions thoughtful
persons have been asking the past few
days as the names of well-known people
were added to the lists of the insane.
/, What is insanity, and why are people
becoming insane?
These questions were asked to-day of a
number of we'll posted physicians. In
| substance the conclusion was that insan.
ity is due either to excess or to deficiency
of normal modes of mental action It was
stated that that which is common to every
|
first manifestation and which, in so far as
| it exists renders the lunatic irresponsi BILE
| for his actions, is deficiency of violitional
control over the current of thought and
feeling and consequently want Of self
direction and understanding power over
the conduct. With this there may be q
| general disturbance either of intellectual
or emotional activity, or of both combined,
constituting mania, or there may be a
partial of limited disorder arising from
excess Of deficiency of some particular
ten dency, constituting monomania. OF
those who have made insanity and its
causes special study, probably there is
| no one more prominent than DR.. Stephen
Smith, of this city, who for the past four
years has been the New York State com.
missioner in lunacy, and in such capacity
has visited all the asylums for the insane
in this and other states. He says that
there are to-day Is coo insane people in
custody of this state, and that the increase
in the number each year is about 600
But if you take the last quarter of
cent ury,' ADDED the Doctor, sit is diff
cult to determine with exactness whether
there has been any considerable increase
of insanity during that time. Why so?
For various reasons. In the first place,
formerly no one was placed in custody as
insane unless he was very dangerous or
furiously mad. This view of insanity led
to the commitment OF comparatively few
insane persons. But latterIy much lar.
ger scope has been given to the conditions
requiring commitment, and as a conse-
| qence much greater number of persons
are regarded as subjects for custody. This
is one important factor in the numerical
increase of the insane. Again there have
been great add itions made to the number
| of forms of insanity by special studies of
| the brain and its manifestations. Persons
are now not only committed because they
are dangerous, but also for the purpose of
treatment wi tn view to recovery. Hence
a very large number who formerly re-
| manned at home are now sent to asylums.
and those adapted to asylum treatment for
cure increase in proportion to the progress
of discovery in the knowledge of the brain
and its manifestations.
INSANITY DUE To MODERN LIFE.
aside, however. from these facts, there
| is undoubtedly an increase of insanity due
not so much to the hurry as to the worry.
| which Our present civilization creates. H.
somnia (sleeplessness) is the almost sure
precursor of insanity and this is more
often caused by mental worry Or excite
ment. And the conditions which lead to
mental disturbances are on the increase.
| Take, for example, the telephone; you
would be surprised to see the number Of
persons in asylums who are so disturbed
by it that they can not sleep. Spiritual
ism claims vast numbers Of insane and,
in general, they are the most persistent in
their delusions. The use of alcoholic IL
quors by the working classes is a growing
evil as regards the increase of insanity.
The use Of narcotics, as morphine, CO.
coaine. cannabis indica, etc., is, believe
on the increase, and leads to mental I'M
soundness. They effectually blunt the
moral sense. and reduce their victims to
the most hopeless state of self receptions.
1t is safe to say that all men, and women
too, who come under the influence of
these drugs are the most inveterate liars"
How abo ut overWork causing insan'
ity2 2"
Il believe far too much is said Of the
dangers of overwork' as now commonly
understood. 1t is not oyerwork, but over
| worry that makes men insane. The steady
and persistent work of brain or mus
Gle, with coed food and refreshing sleep.
is far more healthy than idleness. l
never saw a person made insane by over.
work who ate well and slept soundiy. You
rarely find a real brain worker in an asy'
lum. ard when you do you will find that
his insanity was Due to worry.
"TLe great mass Of insane men in this
State are the common people, a large per.
centage Of whom are Of foreign birth or
percentage. Careful inquiry in indiyidu-
al cases shows that the causes of insanity
among the laboring classes is of nature
to create mental worry or over excitement,
inducing loss of sleep. impaired digestion
and final alteration of the mind. The for
eign population is more liable to these dis.
turbng conditions than the native and es.
pecially to the influences of drinking hab'
its. The com mon saloon as resort of Ia
boring men during hours when they need
rest and quiet is a fruitful source of in.
sanity. 1t is not alone drinking poor and
adulterated liquors that makes poor men
insane. but the low vices Of these which
aggravate their mental disturbances. The
truth is that all our holidays for the benefit
of the working classes, while the saloons
are open are rather injurious than bene
fetal. Saturday aif-holiday has added
largely the sick list of this city. If the
saloons must be tolerated at all it should
be open from sunrise to sunset and BIZ
absolutely closed on all holidays y
is there difference between the for.
eign and native population as to the mum.
Der of insane ?''
"Decldedly The ratio of Insane of for
| ai0n birth or naroenta0a to tho natives iY