The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-22
Interesting Report by Super
intendent, DR.. BldCkford.
INCREASE OF INSANITY
Pressure Upon the Hospital Very Great
and Many Patients Declined on Ac.
count of Lack OF Room-O ecu
patton and Recreation.
special to The rimes-pispatch.)

.nS ~ the Board of Directors of the
Western state Hospital to-day, superin.
tensent Or BENZ Blackford submitted
bis annnsl report for the year. ending
September ST. ,slS. extracts from which
are IS follows:
The superintendent reports tina, at the
beginning Of the fiscal year there were
IN the Western State Hospital i.ei1 pa
iienis. OF whom 554 were males. and 49s
we're females There was admitted dur
ing the wear ending September 80, 1909
lpa males IS females. Total members In
the hospital during the year, 66S males.
fsi females. Readmitted during the year.
y males. 20 females. Discharged during
the year-recovered. ~ males. 46 females;
not insane two females; improved, IL
males, . females: idiots. i; unimproved, z:
total discharged, 127. Died during the
year. q males. e females. There Is now
In the hospital l,O14, The whole number
of patients entered at the hospital since
1t was opened in lS2S, to the present time
was 6147, of whom 1906 died. and S,ltS
were discharged. The highest number
ever in the hospital at any one time is
at present-1.074.
During the year there were 81 applica-
tons for admission, and 2o7 were adj
nlitted. The pressure upon the hospital
has been very great. and many patients.
were declined for want of room. The
hospital has been very much crowded
for the last year or two with number
OF applicat tons on file. awaiting vacan-
cses
or the death reported during the year,
we're between 20 and 50 years: "A betwe7n
60 and 70, and IL between 80 and 80. -Four
OF the above. who had resided in the
hospital over % years. and s between 10
and IS years.
SupERISTENDENT'S REPORT.
The superintendent says: 1T is with
pleasure and very gratifying to be able
~ report that the general household has
been remarkably good. We have had no
epidemic and comparatively few cases
Of physical sickness of any serious ma
ture. The hyglenic and sanitary condi-
tons OF the wards are kept UP to the
highest standards Of excellence. We can
not, however boast Of entire freedom
from casualty during the year. We had,
unfortunately. a case of suicide, (she be-
Ing female with suicidal mania, who
had made several attempts before adlnis-
sion, and three attempts after. to kill
herself; which case was reported to the
Board of Directors,
years l hav eurgently called the atten-
tion Of the General Assembly Of Virginia
to the absolute necessity of providing adj
ditional accommoua tons for our unror-
tunate insane fellow citizens. who arc
now unprovided for throughout the state.
for want Of room in the respective State
hospitals. which are crowded to their
utmost capacity. This chronic congested
condition Of the several hospitals Of the
State. is not. in my Judgment, conducive
to the proper classification. care and
treatement of the inmates. nor to the
hygenic or sanitary condition OF the re-
epective wards Of each hospital. The va
cancies caused by deaths and discharged
arc no, equal to the demands for ad-
mission, and 1t Is only by the most liberal
application of the parole system, that
we can receive new patients, allowing Il
very close margin of vacant beds, for
returning furloughed patients, and to
keep the jas free from insane persons,
which Is a most unsatisfactory way OF
keeping up misunderstanding unavold-
able delay.
MORE ROOM NEEDED.
$50 thoroughly am ! convinced that tho
time has arrived when Virginia will be
compelled to fall in line with her sister
States. and build another hospital for the
existing hospitals that deem It my
duty to refer to It again, 1t is condition
and not theory that is confronting
the General Assembly and taxpayer Of
Virginia. Statistics show a large increase
IN insanity each year and the cry In
nearly all Of the States is for more room,
and the enlargement of hospitals for the
insane.
THE number OF insane In the United
States in 1860, was 24,O42: in 1870. 27,4iS; in
1880, 1887; in 1880 106.254. In 1860 the PERI
eentage of increase to the whole popu-
iation was native to 1863: foreign born,
] TO 100; in 1890, native. to SOS: foreign
born. TO 262.
The last report OF the I.unacy COM
missioner Of England and Wales shows
that in 1853 the number of insane was
S6762, or in $50 of the population There
has been steady increase from thar
time up 10 January !. 1903, when the num-
her Of insane was 113 ,964, or in 203 OF
population.
The careful compiled tables of tho
lunacy Commissions OF England OK.
plains, as far as possible the causcy
Of insanity; The list is headed by drink
10 which % per cent Of male, and Sc
per cent of female cases OF insanity are
sscrhcd. Hereditary accounts for the
~,
proportion being the high one of 24S per
cent. Of insanity Previous attacks come
next with 23l per cent of women. and
,62 per cent OF men, In cases of unknown
causes, men come first, with II per cent,
and women follow with 15i per cent,
The general Impression that the increase
OF lunacy Is due 10 the mental wear and
tear Of modern life is not supported by
the figures, adverse circumstances. IN,
Guiding business anxiety and pecuniary
difficulties account for the lunacy of 6?
per cent OF the men. and 3,S per cent
OF the women,
INSANITY INCREASING
The question is often asked; Is In.
sanity on the incroase2' But IT is one that
does not find accurate solution, owing
10 insufficient data From tho best in.
formation from statistics al hand, both IN
the United States and England and from
our own limited experience, we must con.
clude that II is probably true, that there
Is still an increase Of insanity
il has been said that The world is passing
through, as it We're, the insanity belt
of It's evolution and past all question
the Ume Will come we hone when ri,,ill