The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-24
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him to worry and affect his mind; neishss
did avaricio1is dreams nor ambitious hopes
as to the possibilities OF the future stit
his brain, but secluded from the nlau-
ding crowds ignobEs strife, he spens ms
quiet and peaceful days, an hunlo!e lils
in an humble home. with master 20 "a.
for every want OF self and family, ana III
health and in sickness"
The negroes unadulterated with amen
blood. had no haredity of disease. ana 70
some extent We're considered immune 10
the climst tic diseases of the Sousn. ana
thus under the restraining and inhihitoFy
influences of the institution Of slavery.
they developed into magnificent specimens
OF physical manhood.
TRAITS OF CHARACTER
Independence of thought and action with
them was more theoretical tnan prac'ieais
they were accus toned to ooey the dc
tates of their owners, whatever those olc-
tates may have been: privation ana want.
those frequent causes OF dssenefacS-.
were unknown to them: their en:iron-
ment, it is true, was narrow, out
marvellous attachment to the families OF
their masters prevailed because OF a gen.
eral sense of obligation to the latter tof
their sustenance These conditions OF lfe,
and the resultant traits OF character thar
were formed were largely the eonserva-
tors of that heaitifuiuess OF mind ana
body which Characterized the negro Save
Certain of the diseases which are now
the hane of the negro's existence was
then comparatively unknown, and fais IS
notably true of insanity and tuberculosis
According to the testimony OF travellers
and natives. consumption and mental DIS
ease is almost unknown among the saw
age tribes of Africa. Among the slaves
Of the Southern States, also. these DIS
eases appear 10 have been consciously
rare according to the experience OF IN
dividuat observers. Ii fact, there are many
intelligent people OF competent authority
and of full acquaintance with the negro,
who unhesitatingiy state that they never
saw a consumptive or insane negro OF un-
mixed blood in the South prior to enamel
patton This fact believe to be so well
established. although owing to the lack
of authoritative statistics taken at that
time. it cannot be verified by actual t--
ures, that will not add to this discussion
by the introduction Of additional personal
testimony to this effect, but will enquire
what is and has been the history of the
negro as to these diseases. insanity and
consumption, since emancipation
Abundant testimony from reliable
sources is not wanting to. establish the
fact that negroes now no longer enjoy
immunity from these naladies. but that
they are dying much more rapidly frcm
them than the whites,
For the verificatou Of this statement let
us look at the census returns and at the
testimony of our hospitals for the insane.
INCREASE OF INSANITY.
No one in this day places a too implicit
confidence in statistics. and in the figures
that | shall cite they have only relative
significance. but as a just comparison be-
tween the whites and the blacks in the
different census erumerations. they have
a reconciled value, and show unmistaka-
bly, that brain diseases have become more
common in the negroes as compared with
the whites.
According to the figures of the Census
Office the colored insane of tire United
States were: In 1860. a ratio of 169 per
million inhabitants; in 1870, at ratio OF
367 per million inhabitants: in 1880. at q
ratio OF 912 per million inhabitants: IN
1850. al ratio of SS6 per million inhabi-
tants: or. stated in another way. the
ra ito OF insanity per million among the
negroes has Increased from 10 as COM
mon in 1870 10 IL as common in lS9e-a
number. as these accumulative tistics
show, alarningIy large and on the in
crease.
In. spanking of the increase of insanity
in the coIored population of Georgia DR.
Powell, superintendent of the Georgia
Lunatic Asylum. makes the following
comments: There has been q radical
change in the susceptibility to certain
diseases notably insanity. phthiSis and
similar naIadies in this class OF our popli-
iation. from which they were almost en-
tirely exempt up to 1861. The census OF
1850 will show that there were only Al In
sane negroes in the State Of Georgia, OF
one insane negro in every 1o5si of the
population. and consumption in the full
blooded negro was rarely seen. The cen
sus OF 1870 shows 100 insane negroes IN
tafs State. or one 10 every t,225 OF the
nonulation The census of 1880 gives Al
fronfinred on Sixth Page)