Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-01-04

REASONS FOR INSANITY.
Modern Fast Life Filling Insane
ASylumS.

ASylufnS.
Robert Garrett, BARLEY Campbell, Charlie
Johncs, Amos Learned, Joe Dion-thc bust
ness man, the playwright, the broker, the
journalist, the expert billiard player gone
insane; state, city and private asylums
crowded with crazy men and women. Why
is IL. Does the fault lis in our way Of liv-
ing, are brains growing weaker, or is il 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 know people were added 10
the list Of the insane.
What is insanity, and why are people b.
coming insanei
These questions were asked TO day Of a
number of well-posted physicians. In sub
stance the confusion was that insanity is
either due 10 excess or 10 d efficiency Of nor
nal modes Of men a. ac ion. II was stated
that that which is common To every form of
insan ", which is frequently its first mani
fcs;ation, and viii, h in so far as il exists,
renders the lunatic irresponsible for his act
ions, is deficiency Of voitional control over
the current Of thought and feeling, and con
scluently a want of s,lf-dircction and self
restraining power over the conduct. With
this there may b. a general disturbance
i
either Of intellectual or emotional activity, or
both combined constituting mania or there
may be partial or limited sorder arising
from excess or deficiency Of some particular
tendency, constituting monomania. OF those
who have made insanity and its causes "a
sp cal study, probably there is none more
prominent than DIR. stephen Smith Of this
city, who for the past four years mas been
IA. a4.,
and in such capacity has visited all the
ssylums for the insane in this and other
states He says there are today 49,
600 insane people in the custody of this
state, and that the increase in the number
is about COO.
but If YOU take the last quarter Of n CEN
tury,n added the doctor, lit is difficult u
de crmine with eXac'nesS 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 dangerously mad This view Of
ncauity led 10 the commitment of compare
lively few insane persons. But latterly "a
much larger scope has been given 10 the con
ditiOns requiring commitment, and as a con
sequence a much greater number Of persons
are regarded az subjects for custody. This
is one important factor in the numerical in
crease of the insane. Again, there have been
great additions 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 danger
Gus. but also for the purposes Of treatment
with q view 90 recovery. Hence a very large
number who formerly remained at home are
now sent TO asylums. And those adapted TO
asylum treatment for cure increase in pro
portion 10 the progress Of discovery in the
knowledge Of the brain and its manifesto
tiCns.
aside, however. from these facts there is
undoubtedly an increase Of insanity due 10
modern life. 1t is not due so much 70 the
hurry as 10 the worry, which our present
civilization creates. Insomnia (scepess) il
the almost sure precursor of insanity and
this is more often caused by mental worry
or excitement. And the conditions which
lead to mental disturbances are on the in
crease. Take, for example, the telephone !;
you would be surprised to sec the number Of
persons in asYlumnS who arc 50 disturbed by
II that they cannot sleep. Spritualism
claims vast numbers OF insane and in
general, they are the most persistent in
their decisions. The use of alcoholic liquors
by the working classes is a growing evil "a
regards the increase of insanity. The use Of
narcotics, as morphine, cOCOainc. cannabis
indica, etc, is, ] believe, on the increase
and leads 10 mental unsOundnCss They
effectua!ly blunt the moral sense, and reduce
their victims 10 the most hopeless state of
self-dcceptiOn. II is safe 10 say that all
men, and woman too. who come under the
influence Of these drugs are the most invet-
crate liars
How about overwork causing insanity"
II believe far too much is said of the
dangers Of 'overworli as now commonly
understood. IL is not overwork but over
worry that makes men insane. The steady
and persistent work of brain, or muscle.
with good food and refreshing sleep, is far
more healthy than idlencss. | never saw "a
person madc ir-aEo by overwork who ate
well and slept soundly. You rarely find n
real brainworker in an asylum, and when
YOU do You will find that his insanity was
due TO worry."-Ncw York Cor Buffalo Ex-
press.