The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-02-26
100 SWIFT A PACE.
Increase OF Insanity and Crime a. .
Result of Extravagant Habits
and Dissipation


ed States bureau of education, for the
Information OF congress. One OF them
is that within the last 80 or 40 years
there has been an increase, relative
to population, in crime, suicide, in
sanity and other forms of abnormal
ity.' In giving his opinion of some
of the causes for this increase, says
a Washington report, DR.. Mcdonald
says:
"The rapid development of society,
as we have suggested, is possibly one
of the main causes of the increase
of crime and abnormality; it includes
a great number of new inventions, in
creased opportunities for travel and
the enterprise of the press enabling
US to read all the news of the world
at breakfast. 1t was quite otherwise
so years ago.
''This haste of civilization puts an
abnormal strain upon the nervous sys-
tenn as compared with the muscular
system. Thus the electric car, auto
mobile and the telephone tend to make
people exercise less and think more.
A reaction has set in already through
the development of systems of phys
ical culture. The less cost of living
and the increase of wealth, with the
luxuries of the table, have tended to
overeating, which, in connection with
lack of exercise, has had its evil effects
and doubtless produced an additional
reaction on the nervous system.
When the nerves are unstrung by
overpressure the will may become
weak, depression and pessimism set
in and loss of self-control follow with
its consequent abnormal actions lead
ing on to crime and other social evils.
"In the statistics of crime some spe-
cial points may be noted. The youth,
as compared with adults, have COM
| mitted more crimes as society has de-
veloped. Suicide among children has
| greatly increased: this might be re-
! garded as a symptom of diseased pre-
| cociousness.
"The recent rapid development OF
women by entering more and more
| into the work of men-a transition in
volving great strain-seems to have
some unwelcome accompaniment.
In Vienna, for instance, general paral-
ysis, a mans disease, is increasing
among women. In Belgium insanity
and suicide have been growing rela-
lively faster in women than in men.
In Austria it has been found that the
criminal influx into cities is relative
ly greater in women than in men and
the effects Of heredity are greater
upon women than upon men.
eff we shake the tree the bad apples
fall first So, in periods of rush and
strain, the weaknesses of human ma
ture become more apparent. But this
increase in evil may be only tenn
porary one, due to the necessary pres
sure of adaptab ability to modern civil
ization The increase in crime, for in
stance, is not necessarily proof that
the world is growing worse. Periods
of decline in history show that the
world does not grow better in a
straight line upward"
King Edward "The Silver King"
The fall in the price of silver still
leaves the king the possessor of an
enormous fortune in the plate he has
!. inherited from his mother, both at
Buckingham palace and at Windsor
: castle. The late queen had the great
preponderance of her plate at Wind
: sor, whereas during the present reign
E. Buckingham palace will probably be
the more plentifully supplied. No
valuation has had to be made for
probate duty, for the king does not pay
the kings taxes, any more than the
speaker of the third estate speaks
Not long ago, however, an inventory
was made at Windsor castle, with the
result that the plate, most of it silver
some of it gold, and portion of it.
d such as a metal peacock and other or.
;. naments, set with gems, was appraised
i at sum far in excess of a million
|. pounds. Edward VII. who has made
Z considerable additions to the collec
4 ton by the transfer of his own plate
a from Marlborough house, may wei
4 be alluded to among connoisseurs a.
g "the Silver King."-London Chronicle