The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-12

MARCH IL, 1908.
or other OF the hospital before6that II, re-
current cases, but II cannot be ascertain.
ed from, the published reports how many
were first admission or now cases. IL
Ia however, fact. that the t1ut1,ber or
new cases has Increased from year 70
year. bg
In an examination Of the superin,t !t'
ents' annual reports find that almost
every years many applicants we're not i'd
nnitted. on account Of Id OK Of room or for
other, reAs6Hs. and many OF those eitilor
died or were restored and DIS charged e1.
Again many cases OF insanity were con
cealed. or treated Mt home. and some
were sent to hospitals outside tho state.
None of these, Of course. have been nc
counted for or enumerated In the hospital
REPORTS. They wouid augment the tilm-
Der OF the insane considerably. :. Il
Based Oh tho hospital statistics and the
census for the general population. Octo-
Der /, 1880, there was one white insane to
about $50 of the general white population;
October 1, 1890, one to Isl; In 1000 one to
$50. Tho number In jalis md elsewhere
not reported, If added would mako the
ratio OF insane greater. I,
from 1880 to 1890 tho white population
Increased something more than 10 per
cent. while the white insane IN the nos rtGs
pltals at the end OF the fiscal year, 1850,
as compared with 1890 (again those OUT
side are not taken into consideration IN.
creased 50 per cent. From 1880 70 IVY
the white population Increased apout ~
per cent, while the white insane IN me
hospitals. at end OF fiscal year. 1900, COM IN,
pared with those In the hospitals at ta i
end Of 1890. increased As per cent.
NOT SO REAL.
IT may be claimed that the stated IN
crease as s,one In tho foregoing, IS more nor
apparent than real, because.
- First: That many cases are re .-,a.'ull
led repeatedly, and reported cac1 tine lh Us
a distinct case. ,582 5-E.
sccond That many persons are now
pronounced lnpane and scnt to the hos
pItnls. who formerly would have been
kept concealed Mt home this might nave
been due to dread OF sending one to the
| ASYLUM or to Ignorance OF mental us
eases. . - -,
humane methods OF caring for and nurs-
Hing the insane and better and more sclen-
I.tific medical treatment, have tended 7 TO
prolong tho life In the hospitals. ana
| hence resulted In an ever-increaslng ac-
! scumulntion OF incurables who remain as
permanent charges.
In answer to these: First While In
/
than once (once for each admission, the
same Is true in a measure as to the gen
| ern1 populnt ton, 3 that is, at each success
! siye census some persons may be counted
again and again. Besides have, as
far as possible, considered first admission
cases.
Second: Years ago many insane were.
on account OF ignorance or dread OF 2the
| ASYLUM, doubtless kept secret ed or away
from the hospital but during the past
! twenty five years( certainly during the
past seventeen, during which time I have
| been connected with the hospital service
| OF the state and given careful STUD 70
these questions). this has not been me
case; on the contrary the tendency GER
| tainly among the poorer classes. has been
rather to send all cases from home ana
place them under proper care and treat
ment By This is due to increasing knoWl-
edge Of the nature OF insanity, to the In
| creased confidence In the hospitals anu
to the inability Of the family to provide
proper care at nome XIII Il TX ~ ~
Third; While improved care and treat
ment have tended to lengthen the aver
| age life Of the inmates OF our hospitals
and modern medical science has. through
| the mercy Of God, given additional years
! Of life to man generally, consumption ana
perhaps other organic diseases nave tenu-
ed 10 increase the death rate among the
! insane, particularly the negroes. and az
| the same time, tn the improved meth
.ods nfF treating and curing acute insanity,
| lessened the number of chronic and In
| durable cases. IN # g5iS d 81 I'D NJ 81 a
| The increase OF insanity In all the states
land civilized countries, has moved along
approximately parallel lines, and Is ono
| Of the vital questions OF modern clYlliza-.
! ton. There Is no occasion, however, Tor
| special alarm in regard to our own stare.
for the ratio OF insane }, TO the genera :, a a.
| incubation Is much smaller than 1t IL IN
many OF the other States. In New York
| tie ratio is one to $40: In Illinois 1T is
| one. TO 400. In the States further South
| 3ISthink the ratio is smaller than it Is in
| Virginia. In Great Britain insanity IN
| creased from one to 523, In 1850, to one 70
800, In 1890 The Increase has gone on
s,nce then. till nowit is, II think, one to
about 300.
NJ Says a great alienlst In a recent yalu-
| able work on insanity: There Is little
question of the actualityy Of certain
| steady Increase of insanity up to point
where the equilibrium between cause and
/ effect Is established, and this Is the more
difficult under the conditions OF change
and stress Of modern NE. me proplem
| is a complex one, and the most we can
say is that there Is no question but that
insanity Is increasing to some extent IN
civilized nations and those coming under
the Influence OF civilization The reasons
FOR this fact and the exact ratio OF In.
crease are as yet unsettled questions
Less than eighteen months ago wrote
to and received replies from every state
regarding the care Of its insane and the
methodist Of managing the hospitals; and
learned that In only avery few OF me
States were the hospital accommodations
adequate for all the insane and that new
buildings or institutions were going up.
on visits within the past few years to hos
pitfalls In Quebec, Montreal Rhode Island
Massachusetts, New York. New Jersey
| Pennsylvania. Ohio and tho Southern
States, from Maryland to Mississippi, and
to the Government Hospital for the In
sane, In washington, D. !, I saw every
where either new institutions or addi-
lions to existing institutions being built,
| in order to meet the demands for more
! Recommendations for the increasing NUM-
Der Of the insane.
TO meet these increasing requirements
for tho insane Is n problem which calls
for the exhibition OF prudence and wis
| dom, 1t should be considered from prhc-
teal, humane and scientific standpolnts.
In the first place, every case OF insanity