The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-07


be made before the parties are permitted
TO marry. For instance. If on one side
there was but a slight faint OF insanity.
and on the other perfect health for sew
eral generations the union might with
safety be permitted. But II. on the other
hand. the slight insane faint on one side
should be offset by a tendency toward &C.
centricity or any neurotic symptom.
epilepsy, paralysis. consumption or can
Ger, the union should be absolutely for
hidden.
II am told" said tho doctor, that a plan
OF this sort would be impractical | say
IL would be practical. We have hedged
marriage about with many restrictions.
emitting only the most important one OF
all-~the one which would make certain
that marriage would give healthy and
hrainy children TO the world. n is high
time that something were done along this
line. and believe that something VIII be
done. ] not only believe that marriages
between persons who have any hereditary
faint should be prohibited. hut I believe
that insanity after marriage should be
sufficient cause for divorce, especially If n
be found that the insane faint existed al
the time OF marriage. Marriage is con-
tract. and a contract cannot be made by
a person Of unsound mind.
The influences which is manufacturing
hereditary faintS. the doctor went on, is
liquor. The drink habit is constantly and
rapidly growing in orninous Importance.
There was time when IL was more or less
truthfully said that a gentleman was not
a gentleman unless he was carried 10
bed and things were bad enough then.
But now, alas, IL Is not the gentlemen
alone who get drunk. All men, OF
whatever station. drink. And not only men.
but women fall victims 10 the habit II
YOU casually examine the statistics OF
hospitals YOU will find that the number 81
men treated for chronic dipsomania, or
drunkenness. IS much greater than the
number of women. But II you refer TO the
reports OF private cases you viii find that
the number OF women treated - much
greater than is the number of men. 1
fancy that. all in all. II about averages up.
His Rules for the Improvement of the
Race.
'sFirst-Reform the marriage system
and call for certain health requirements
before a license he granted.
''Second-RestriCt the liquor traffic and
establish new and rational institutions for
tho treatment OF chronic drunkenness
Then. after I had done these things. !
would sec 20 II that the public better
understood certain things that have a
serious effect on the insanity rate CHIEF
ercnr these is the fact that parents and
friends make 10 special EFFORT 20 sur
,ot,nd those who are under their care with
Influences which viii be most beneficial 20
them. Next 10 improper marriage and
6~ink overwork worry. shock and re-
rr,ous and political excitement are The
most fertile causes OF insanity. When \
child IS OF nervous or neurottc tempera-
,,,ert its pareuts should make every effort
~ save il from any OF these influences
A Thousand cases or insanity are do
,elor..a every year which mieht have
hem escaned had tho victim been
SHARED excitemenis. worries or other I'M
fortunate influences which were really
apneceSsarv I do not believe in the de-
tailed descriptions 81 crimes ia the ne vs.
,,,nars I vas very deeply interested II
me Jack the Ripper case. and ! watched
t,s eject eiT,on the public You know
.r.gk. saof me a letter warning me that
10 vas about 60 commit n series OF horrid
,,v-,fers long before he committed hiS
sys. hatchery. and long before the police
received any ~ the communications rom
htn which notified them of his impending
crimes"
...t,r,s or,sre II s. written IN red. as -
-, ,a.,e~ which was received by the Lon
A. rnlgea ana which y On exhibition IN
80 Rack museum az Scotland yard. Il
..,,,,,res in absolutely grammatical
x,m,ts, that the writer wouh soon com
-, "a XIII people rer. Winssow paid
- .,,s.sai attention % Il a. the time Of its
-.,,atnf merely saving Il as curiosity %
: Hind which frequently fatls INTO Ms
eands He glanced L over ana mace ID
ass mind that the handwriting vas ina 81
a fouasie. although II did not neSessAf ~
s,llow that because the iGnat1 ~Fose