The sun., 1903-08-02
MORE INSANITY IN ENGLAND.
LINiCY CONNISSION REPORYS
4 STARTLING INCRE tSE.
The Gain In Gases Of Madness since 1850
out 0T All Proportion 10 the Growth
Of POpuiatiOn-Drsnk said TO he the
CHIEF alIse--ThC Influence Of HcredIty.

,SpeC ~ cane DrS'lNCH ~ ItAh '''N
LONDON. Aug. The annual report or
the Lunacy Commissioners shows an enor-
NOUS increase in madness in England and
in Wales In 1850 the number # insane
was SO, 7Gl, or ono in 536 of the population
There has been steady increase from that
time up to Jan. /, 1903, when the number ol
i.sane was 1854, or one in every 9o3 oil
population. The rate Of ncrraSe slice
1894 has been especially notable, the gam
being from 92 ,Ob7,
There was never such an increase Ill the
numbers of insane as in the year enLed
Dec 81. 1902, the increase over the previous
wear being 3.25l The number Of persons
who lost their minds in 1902 alone was 22,5sl,
or almost 800 per week. lhe Increase
was found almost entirely among pauper
lunatics. The proportion Of lunalics pn-
vatelv cared for to the population is about
the same row az it was in 1859, whereas the
psuper proportion Is twice as nigh.
carefully compiled table explains as
far as possible the causes Of lunacy. Inc
list is headed by drink, to which % per cent
of male and 90 per cent. of female cases ol
insanity is ascribed.
Heredity accounts for the greatest num-
her of women lunatics, the proportion hr-
inc the high one Of 24G per cent. IL the
case of men, heredity accounts for 1873 per
cent. Of insanity. Previous attacks come
next with 23I Der cent. Of women and l0-
per cent. of men. In cases OF unknown
causes, men come first with II per cent and
women follow with l5,i per cent,
The general impression that the increase
oF h,nacy ia due to the mental wear and tear
of modern life is not supported by lhe
figures. Adverse circumstances lncludlhG
business anxieties and pecunlary dlitlcntieS
| account for the hnnacy Of 81 per cent OF
the men and 3S per cent. OF the women
mental anxiety, worry and ovcrworK, 81
ner cent, of the men and SO per cent OF
women, love affairs, one in 200 OF men and
three in 200 of women, There is about
, the same proportion of insanity through
fright and nervous shocks
According 70 the figures Of the com
missioners, physical, rather than dlrect
mental causes are responsible for the great
increase in insanity, Ono case in three can
he traced to some disease or disorder. The
percentage Of old people who have lost
their minds ia as seven men to eight women.
The age limits between which the majority
Of patients are admitted to asylums are
| 25 to A..
One-fourth of all those admitted to the
asyhlms are found to have suicidal tenden-
cies Lunacy il increasing more in the
| country than in the cities In Hereford
and Exeter there is a higher percentage
! than in London vet the average increase, OF
! insanity in the capital has attained the
enormous figure of 500
| DIR, T.. W White, who was recently elected
president of the Medical-Psychologi
Association, points out that not only is
insanity increasing, but that in the last
| thirty years there has been no material
advance in the rate OF recovery, despite
the numerous new and rational principles
| Of treatment
| London particularly suffers from unIim-
| tied numbers of the worst kincs Of cases OF
aliens and needy town dweiers. whose
poor bodies and poorer minds are often
sapped 10y disease.
For this and another great cause OF the
| increase Of insanity, namely, the marriages
| OF these tainted with lLnacy, DR.. White
| advocates State regulations. He Is also
| In favor OF such Government control Tor
| the niti CATION Of the chief cause OF IN
| sanity, drink. England within the last
| Atty years has become a spirit drinking