The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-03-05
WHY PEOPLE GO MAD.
Analysis of the Cases Of Nine Thousand
Men and Women.

Men and Women.
Rarely can one find u more de-
pressing story of human ills than
that which is told iii the annual re-
port of the state commission in lu-
macy, given out by the state printer
in Albany.
IN the table showing the causes
which sent 16, POS 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
FERROUS influence of cigarette smok-
ing, but one man and one woman
were driven insane by the habit, but
excessive smoking of tobacco in 9TH
er forms sent 10 men and women
to the 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 II women. Overwork
broke down the minds of 252 men
and 430 women. Intemprance in al
coholio drinks accomplished the un-
doing of 1, 227 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 a man
who drank essence of peppermint
The opium habit claimed II men and
90 women. Under the head of
moral causes are grouped such
troubles as loss of friends, religious
and political excitements, disap-
pointments, and so on. These causes
crazed 9O2 men and 1894 women.
It seems rather strange, but one
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. 1t shows that 10 men,
but not one woman, became insane
through disappointment in love dur
ing the six years. One 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 an asylum
More remarkable still is tho fact
that under the head of domestic
troubles" there were registered 5!
men and not one woman. Six men
but not one woman, became insane
through fright. So, too, hair dye:
turned the brains as well as the hail
, of two men, but not one woman
/ Mesmerism also affected one man
. but no woman. Jealousy was tn
| uudoing of one man, but of no WON
, an.
, On the other hand, overwork b,
, itself destroyed the minds of A wo
. men, but of no man. Overwork an,
, intemperance combined, however
landed 134 men, but not one woman
in the asylums. Intemperance alon
called for 976 men and 61O womel
this out of total of 9, 146 men an,
women admitted to the asylums dur
ing six years, Overstudy derange'
the minds of II men and no woman
Kooh's lymph ruined 1 man, an,
/ man became insane from a "do!
bite" The effects of what is oalleC
the "opium habit" made 4 me,
insane in the six years. No cases O
! women are recorded under this head
but under the title of morphine
habit" women. and no man arr
mentioned. American Medical Re
view.
Gold Horseshoes Tn Oidan fr;n,as