The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-31
INCREASE IN


Public opinion has decided that this Is
a neurotic age and that insanity is ever
on the increase. This general impression
appears TO be erroneous, and the trouble
is probably more relative than actual. Yet
that there is an increase can hardly be
denied. A hot and bitter discussion has
been prevailing on the subject for many
years in Great Britain, and still continues
with undiminished vigor. The lunacy de-
partments there hold that the increase
is only apparent, while those taking the
opposite view contend that the increase
is only too real. Regarding the question
from a statistical point of view alone,
the conclusion arrived at by most per-
sons would be that the latter are right,
but, as an old-time Glasgow professor
was in the habit of telling his class,
Statistics are like sausages. 1t all de-
ponds on the old woman who makes
them"
In the Westminster Review" for May,
is a slashing article attacking the argu-
ments of the Lunacy Commissioners
which they bring forward In support of
their contention that the increase is only
apparent. The writer of this article says
that there is a real substantial and pro-
g~ressive increase, and backs up his words
with the figures. In 1862, in England,
there was 2.02 lunatics in every 10000 of
population; in 1895 there were 3.15. In
1862 there were 1.36 in every $1,000 of the
population; in 1885 there were 1886. In
1862 in Scotland there were 2.01 lunatics
in every 10, 900 of the population; in 1895
there were 3.39.
Figures so startling as these will take
a great deal of explaining away, but to a
large extent they are misleading. Sta
tistics in lunacy must be dealt with very
broadly and cautiously. One reason for
the great increase in the population of
hospitals for the insane is the fact that
lunatics are looked upon with different
eyes than formerly. In the early part of
the century insanity was regarded with
horror or scorn, and with little feeling of
pity or sympathy. The truth that it was
a disease possible to cure had not entered
mems minds. An asylum was a prison,
the inmates of which were treated more
harshly than criminals; now that asylums
are recognized as hospitals, they contain
inmates who formerly were not counted
as lunatics.
The advance in England in the number
of the insane has been almost wholly in
the pauper class, and is doubtless due to
the improved accommodation and treat
ment and the consequent enhanced appre-
citation of the benefits of being an in
mate of a hospital. This state of affairs
applies also to this country. The accu-
mutation of chronic cases is another
fruitful cause of increase, and it must
not be overlooked that the accumulation
of chronic cases IS inevitable at a hospi-
tai for the insane as differing from a
general hospital, because at any insane
asylum all the i~ncurables, or nearly all,
have to be kept as permanent patients.
Under the modern system, too, the rate
of mortality is very much less. When
all hat is to be said has been said to
minimize as much as possible this in
crease, it is useless to pretend that there
has been no real increase whatever. 1t
is certainly not so great as statistics with
out necessary explanations and the
alarmists would lead us to suppose; still
the fact that there is some increase is
more or less Observation-Disclosures Rec
ord r4a