The record-union., 1897-07-14

parts seem like foreign lands to our
native-born inhabitants. In New York
and Philadelphia the foreign born in
| the cities at large constitute thirty
four per cent. Of the entire population,
| and in tenement districts they form
| sixty-two per cent Those of foreign
parentage constitute sixty-nine per
cent. of the people at large, while they
| form ninety-two per cent. of the dwell
ers in the slums. One district of thirty
! two acres in the Eleventh Ward of New
! York contains 81 500S inhabitants, that
| is. $50 persons to each acre Few of
| the so-called homes have water distrib-
uted through the different apartments,
! hence bathing facilities are limited.
! Only 800 persons out of 255, ,033, have
had the opportunity to bathe in the
| houses in which they live. We might
continue TO dwell upon these sad con-
| ditions which are found in these large
cities, conditions which are conducive
| to physical disease, crime, and insanity,
| but this must suffice. Under this
} heading, it remains for us to consider
| the State of California in reference to
it's agricultural districts and large cit
| les, and determine whether it is SUBJ
! ject to like conditions as found in the
| State Of New York, only in less de-
! gree. California has nine cities with
! a population each of over 10000 inha b.
! itants. These cities have a population
/ in the aggregate of at least 500, 900, and
which constitute flve-twelfths of the
| population of the State, according to
the census of 1890. California has also
| 1aroa hOl6inpc nf nd Of
acres of land, untitled and practically
uninhabited. Much of the land that
| is under cultivation is titled in such
| large bodies, that frequently twenty
| five and fifty thousand acres in grain
may be found under the control and
ownership Of one Individual While
these conditions remain unchanged,
While five-twelfths of the entire pop
ulation are massed in our cities, Cali
| fornia will occupy a high rank among
| the States that are burdened with the
| care of large number of the insane
Any agency that may be instrumental
| in placing portion of our cities pop
| ulation upon these vacant lands, or
that invites the healthful and strong to
| immigrate to this country to occupy
| these broad acres, will prove a public
benefactor to the people of this State,
ana at the same time prove to be an
| important factor in the reduction Of
| our present nigh rate of insanity as
compared with our population.
| CALIFORNIA AS A SANITARIUM.
AND ITS EFFECT ON INSANITY.
FOurth-A State which has earned a
reputation for the exceLency of its cli-
mate in arnp1io ~
the cure of a certain class of disea ses
is liable to have it's insane increase
and for the reason that the Importation
among its inhabitants Of persons who
are suffering from disease Of any kind
otten indirectly paves the way for men
tai unsoundness. The position taken
IN the discussion Of this part of our
subject is to the effect that insanity
is only symptom of a diseased, de-
generated, or deranged condition Of the
body; and that all other conditions be-
ing equal, those who are suffering from
bodily disease. degeneration, or de-
rangement are more liable TO be af-
fiicted with insanity
California has achieved the reputa-
ton of being one of the great health
resorts of the world Individuals suf-
fering from all forms of diseases are
coming here in the endeavor to regain
their lost health. Many of them have
passed the point where medical skill,
climatic surroundings or anything else
that may be utilized for the alienation
of human sufferngs can be of any
avail. Physicians who should know
better advise the removal of hundreds
of such inva1ids to California But
where is California? Any climate from
the frozen North to that of the sunny
South, may be found in California; still
this State is pointed out as the Italy OF
America to these unfortunate sufferers,
and friends acting under such advice,
ignorant of the result and with an anx-
iety beyond expression, hasten to this
supposed cure-all with their sick
friends, only, in many instances, to be
disappointed. That a properly selected
portion of this State, with it's climatic
| influences found in the part selected,
will prove of benefit to properly chosen
cases, all are willing to admit; but to
send such invalids indiscriminately to
this State, without giving instructions
where or in what locality they shall
abide, frequently works a great hard
ship to the invalid and is manifestly a
detriment to the State and its inhab-
itants.
TUBERCULOSIS
Many consumptives are coming to
California every year. Every such in
dividual is suffering from bodily dis
| ease, and as before stated, insanity is
only a symptom of bodily disease, de-
generation or arrangement, and hence
among this class of persons we should
expect high percentage of insanity.
1t has been estimated by different OBJ
servers that about so per cent. of all
deaths in asylums are from tuberculosis,
and Schroeder Van der Kolk was of the
opinion that hereditary predisposition
to tllhArculnSiS nigh de2.elnr into in