The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-05-29
WHY PEOPLE GO MAD.
ANALYSIS OF THE CASES OF 5000
MEN AND WOMEN,


| ANALYSIS OF THE CASES OF 5000
MEN AND WOMEN.
Rarely can one find u more depressing
story of human ills than that which is
told in the annual report Of the State
printer in Albany.
In the table showing tl,e causes which
sent 16, ,2OS people to the country asylun,s
during the six years covered by the
statistics may he found some curious
statements. Thus, in spite uf the sup
posed delerious influence of cigarette
smoking, but one man aud one woman
wore driven insane: by tho llubit, but ex-
oessive smoking OF tobacco in other forms
sent 10 men and 3 women to the asylulns.
One woman became insane through tho
extraction of her teeth, and ONE girl lost
her mind through fear of punishment.
An incorporate desire to acquire know
ledge forever stopped the studies of 20
menand IL women. OverWork broke
down the minds Of asa men aad 40
women. Intempemnce IN alcoholic
drinks accomplished the undoing of /. .227
men and PIP women. No other cause
claimed 80 many victims ;mong u,su.
BESIDES these, there were solne 200 who
hecalne insane through drink complicated
some other cause, and it is a curious fact
that one of these was man who drank
essence of peppermint. The opium
habit claimed II mon and % women.
Under the head of "moral causes'' are
grouped such troubles as loss of friends.
religious and political excitement,, dis
appointments, and SO on. These causes
crazed 9O2 men and ,294 women.
1t seems rather strange, but one man
became insane through military hard
ship The use of hair wash Ynsy.,e.i,
one woman's reason. One na,n, became
insane because Of the heat Of the fur
l.aceS under fft the bpjlers I've Was firing.
The talAe of oensuses complied from
the New York asylums goes into greater
detail. 1t shows that 13 men, but not
one woman, became insane tbNMwh
disappointment in love Nu,EiHGe the six
years. Ono maaA m.aaA4 went insane because
his wife eloped, but the womeN Who lost
their husbands in like fNsl.ie, must have
taken 4 m0Ge sensible view at the matter
i@ not ono was Sent to the asylum.
MM0 remarkable still is the fact that
under the head of domestic troulles',
there were registered 10 mcn and not
one WOMAN. six men, but not one
woman, became insane through fright.
So. too, hair dyes turned the brains "a
well as the hair of two men, but not one
woman. Mesmerism also affected one
man, but no woman. Jealousy was the
undoing of one man, but of no woman,
On the other hand, overwoSk ly ,sseli
DESTROYED the mHiirsG4s mHiirsG4s VI n women, bnt
ooif ~ Y. ii,Fp: pyerwork and inAtelnpeerence
combined, however, landed l3t uen,
but not one woman. in TN asyluns.
4ntempfranca alone called for Y76 men
and Gl0 wameM-this ont of total of
g. All men and women admitted to the
asylums during six years. Overstudy
deranged the minds of IL men and no
women. Koch's lymph ruineA pYls, Wap.
and one man became insappe from from a dog
bite" The elnects elnfeects Of what is called tAe
"Wpium habit" made feul Micl, i,,s".,s in
'N''''sN""3 W. lien are recorded
",''' " lad, but under the title of
.IOrphine habit 3 women and 10 men
are mentioned. American Medical Re-
view.