The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-05

Of civilization owing 90 mental, physical
and moral Deficiencies Not having the
qualities essential 20 success, they are
left behind and evolution proceeds at
the expense of the less tit, IL is, indeed,
civilization itself which, by making the
struggle more arduous, renders more
and more persons unable 10 attain the
standard il has itself fixed. Thus civil
lied society, by forcing the pace, practl-
caliv manufactures it, own unfit, namely
its own paupers. its own criminals ana its
own lunatlCS
The assumption is borne out by the
data which DIR. JONES brings forward.
These data show that, despite the vast
progress made in the science OF pre-
ventive medicine which aims 10 assure
the purity of food, air and water despite
the Improvement in respect OF temper
ance, and despite the reduction OF the
death rate and especially of infant NOR
talitv. the physique of the British people
has dcteriorated. The deaths, for in
stance from cancer and nervous dis
eases have increased materially. In the
qlinQuennum lS8l-65 the annual death
rate from cancer per one million persons
was aa7. &: in the quinquennium lss8-9O
it had risen to 5997. In the first named
nstrrlm the annual death rate per one
million persons from nervous diseases
was 1910; in the last named five-year
period it has increased to 1858. The
general PARALYSIS of the insane, a disease
which is probably the most highly
evolved form OF mental breakdown, and
at the opposite pole from the primary
defects of idiocy and imbecility was so
rare in Great Britain hundred wears
ago that about that date it was described
for the first time. 1t is now observed
in the proportion of 2l.7 per cent. for
male admissions and 81 for female adj
missions to the Morningside Asylum, as
against H. males and 33 females for the
whole of the London county asylums.
This increase of general paralysis of the
insane is obviously very serious out
come of modern civilization. Another
type of insanity which has grown rap
idly in importance during the last CEN
fury is dementid prBcor, a disease ex-
ceedngly rare a hundred years ago in
England, but now so common that Dr.
JONES would almost describe it as the
scourge of British asylums. This malady
attacks prematurely the most promis-
ing youth, and is practically incurable.
all .NH tt,tn al ~ TIl.r
is the one most likely to be caused by
overstrain, and the mental, rather than
tire manual, worker is subject to its
ravages.
of lunatics officially registered in Great
Britain. At that date there were SO, 7e2
insane persons, proportion to the popu-
lation of to $50. To-day they number
over ll3964, proportion to the popula-
ton of to every 293 Nor is this all.
The tendency of much of the insanity
which comes under treatment to-day in
England is to end in dementia and to
become incurable. 1t was computed a
hundred years ago that the recovery
rate among cases of mania was 81 per
cent Last year in all the London asy-
iums the recovery rate amounted TO no
more than 1874 per cent. This in spite OF
all the means of treatment which CEN
turys progress in the sciences and in
therapeutic art has placed at the disposal
Of physicians. Even quarter OF CEN
fury ago the prevailing type of insanity
in England was different from that most
conspicuous to-day.
There is, it seems, an increased ten
dency to melancholia, which is less
durable than mania, and probably should
be attributed to deeper reduction OF
krve elements. In recent years melan.
cholia has become considerably more
frequent among the educated and private
| classes of the insane, and DR.. JONES
tells us he is stating fact, and not ar
opinion, when he says that, while recov'
cry may be complete after sharp attack
of mania, this is rarely the case after
melanchoiia, more especially in men.
The conclusion deduced from hest
data is that the comparative frequency
and gravity of insanity in our time mus
be ascribed, not to any failure of modern
therapeutic means, but TO the increasing
difficulty experienced by the average in
tellect in graphing with the compile,
conditions and in responding TO the in
tensifed stimuli ard enhanced require
ments of our modern civilization.