Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-02-27
Why PEOPLE GO MAD.
Analysis Of tho Cases Of Nine Thousand
Men and Women.

A00Iy9yD 01 tnO VoDOo Oh wiz AA~~~s'>e
Men and Women.
Rarely con one find a more de-
pressing story of human Ills than
that which Is told in the annual re-
port of the state commission in lu-
macy, given out by tho state printer
In Albany.
In the table showing the causes
which sent 1e, 20s people to the ooun-
try asylums during the six years
covered by the statistics may be
found some curious statements.
Thus, In spite of the supposed dele
terious influence of cigarette smok-
ing, but one man and one woman
were driven insane by the habit, but
excessive smoking Of tobacco in 9th.
OF forms sent 10 mon and 8 women
to tho asylums. One woman became
insane through the extraction of her
teeth, and one girl lost her mind
through fear of punishment An in
temperate desire to acquire knowl.
edge forever stopped the studies Of
20 men and ~ women. Overwork
broke down the minds Of 252 men
and 400 women. Intemprance in al
ooholio drinks accomplished the IN
doing of 1927 men and 212 women.
No other cause claimed so many VIC
tins among men. Besides these,
there were some 200 who became in
sane through drink complicated with
some other cause, and it is curious
fact that one of these was man
who drank essence of peppermint
The opium habit claimed II men and
% women. Under tho head Of
"moral causes" are grouped suoh
troubles as loss of friends, religious
and political excitements, disap-
pointments, and so on. These causes
crazed 902 men and l. 294 women.
It seems rather strange, but ono
man became insane through mill
tary hardship" The use Of hair wash
unseated one woman's reason. One
man became insane because Of the
heat of the furnaces under the boilers
he was firing.
The table Of causes compiled from
the New York asylums goes into
greater detail. It shows that IS men,
but not ono woman, became insane
through disappointment in love dur
ing the six years. Ono man went in
sane because his wife eloped, but
the women who lost their husbands
In like fashion must have taken q
more sensible view Of the matter,
for not one was sent to On asylum.
More remarkable still Is the fact
that under the head Of domestic
troubles" there were registered 50
men and not one woman. Six men,
but not ono woman, became insane
through fright. So, too, hair dyes
turned the brains as we'll as tho 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 wom-
an.
On the other hand, overwork by
itself destroyed the minds of A wo-
men, but Of no man. Overwork and
intemperanoe combined, however,
landed 1874 men. but not one woman,
in the asylums. Intemperance alone
called for 976 men and $40 women
this out Of total Of 9, 146 men and
women admitted to the asylums dur
ing six years. Overstudy deranged
the minds of II mon and no woman.
Koch's lymph ruined 1 man, and
man became insane from dog
bite" The effects Of what Is called
the "opium habit" made 4 men
insane In the six years. No cases Of
women are recorded under this head,
but under the title of morphine
habit" 8 women and no man are
mentioned. Medical Re-
view.