The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-10-28
INVESTIGATIONS SHOW THAT EV-
cry YEAR THE PROPORTION
GROWS GREATER.
LOVE PLAYS A STELLAR ROLE
But the Women Go Mad for Cupid's
Sake Far More Often Than the
MaIes-Do weddings Fill the
Mad House.

among human beings is steadily increas-
ing. The march of progress is appar-
emily affecting our brains, and some day,
if the present ratio continues, we may al
he insane or so many of us that we will
shut the sane people up in the asylums
and do Just what our disordered brains
may impel. The suggestion of all this
has been made before but never as now
backed by actual medical figures.
1t can not be argued that this Increase
in the number of cases of insanity is the
result of the worlds population growing
greater, for taking all that into the cal
culatiOn the increased proportion is I'M
changed 1t is true that the same sta
tisticS show that the number of
deaths from insanity is considerably less
than formerly and that the proportion
of persons who become again clothed III
thc,' right minds is greater, but these
facts do not at all alter the truth that
there are more persons who become IN
sane and remain in that condition each
year than used to be the case.
Look at the figures: The total present
number of lunatics in England and Wales
is 09,365, as compared with 96,446 on
the corresponding day of 1896. 1t re-
uuires no mathematician to discover the
fact that this shows an increase of 29l9
persons who have joined the lunacy con-
that the increase in recoveries is due to
the fact that more of the insane are plac-
cd under the control of the medical pro
fession than was formerly the case, but
that is only n matter of theory, Tor no
one ever will know the correct number or
lunatica that are treated in their own
homes or the homes of their friends.
1t is in Nav that the majority OF per
sons go mad. may seem strange that
pnnnth prnntn
a fearful amount of mental disorder, but
the facts demonstrate it beyond contro-
versy. Besides May. March. April, June
and July are responsible for the filling
of the asylums, so far as statistics OF
occurrence can make them so. 1t mas
always been known that the springtlme
was particularly favorable to the develop
ment of mental disorders. but few. per-
sons have been aware of the fact in all
its fullness. 1t is also in the spring that
the young mans fancy lightly turns to
thoughts of love. and yet the same sta
tstics mentioned show that the proper
ton of young women who are driven mad
by Cupid's wiles in the spring is far
greater than the number of young male
lunatics A prominent physician, when
asked the cause of this, stated that in
his judgment it was because the mental
organization of woman was much more
delicate than that of man and therefore
a shock of a mental nature at the sea-
son of the year when Cupid is supposed
to he in the zenith of his power is infinite
ly more likely to be productive of i'll re-
suits to the female than the male.
1t is interesting to note the great part
ity. To thoroughly appreciate it. it must
be understood that half of the cases
which appear on the insanity records as
due to various causes are really the re-
suit of love. This is what medical men
say. experts as to the causes which drive
people mad. Marriage, which is the
natural result of love, unquestionablv
helps the growth of the insanity. record.
II is q fact that the number of insane
married men proportionately exceeds
that of insane single men by at least one
third. During the five years from 1891
to 1895. inclusive. 962 married men with
suicidal propensities were treated while
during the same time there underwent
treatment 73S bachelors and III widow
crs. Turning to the other sex the record
shows during the same period the married
women treated numbered 1920, the spins
tCrs 939 and the widows 1853.
These figures are necessarily convinc-
ing and they are hard to explain. One
of the very best known physicians in
discussing the matter the other day. said
1T simply upsets the theory that mar
riage renders people, longlived and less
prone to mental disturbance. | find no
solution of the problem. except that af-
forded bv the divorce courts. The num-
Der of divorces has increased in even
greater proportion than the number OF
cases Of insanity. I sincerely believe
that the marriage covenant is so lightly
considered nowadays that people hastily
assume all the obligations it implies and
when it is too late, realize what they
have really done.
"Of course it does not follow that all
marriages are by no means like the sort
referred to. but think almost any person
who has studied the problem as closely
as | have will tell you the same thing.
If people didn't plunge into the. sea of
matrimony with no more thought than
they do when they take dip in the
ocean believe we should soon see re-
duction in the percentage of the insane"
An interesting feature of this question
is the cases of insanity in general. and
how these causes operate in members of
the two sexes. Here are some instances
in which the sex percentage is given: