The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-28

than passing attention. Referring 20 the
scheme of segregating the unfortunate
patients IN cottages. in lieu Of combining
them IN one vast building. he began by
expressing the wish that the population
OF the village OF Baugour might not grow
but rather diminish. until il become an
even more deserted village than the ham
let Of Oliver Goldsmiths poem. lie then
remarked that a sum Of no less than
S1J1G00.G09 has been invested IN these pub
tic asyiums FOR the insane IN the United
kingdom, which be described as tombs
for the intellectually dead. Tie added that
sl5.oe00o5 was spent annually FOR their
maintenance, but pointed out that al
this enormous amount Of money Is ex-
pended by the nation. not for those for
whom II can have any hope in the future,
or in whom il can have any confidence as
good citizens. bat for those who repre-
sent their waste and deeay--in short,
that II was Of ali public Investments the
most unproductivc. Lord Roseberv did
not condemn this expenditure as extravu-
CANT, nor did he intimate that the lot OF
the insane should be rendered more cruel
By the diminishment of their comforts.
But he argued that some steps should be
taken TO arrest tho altogether phe-
nunenaI Increase Of insanity, during The
last fifty years while The population OF
the United Kingdom has increased by q
per cent, the number OF lpnatics had
augmented by 30 per cent
With regard TO the causes of this
growth Of lunacy, which Is by no means
confined 70 England, but which extends
90 all the civilized countries. he vas TN
able 20 speak with any degree Of assur-
ance, and save for the fact that > per
cent OF insanity is medically ascribed 70
heredity he was compelled 10 restrict
himself 10 the expression of opinions Of
his own. some Of which viii commend
themselves 10 the readers of The Herald.
while others are likely 10 be contested
Of course. II cannot be denied that in
America the absence Of repose is every
year becoming more pronounced, and TO
those who can recall conditions here
twenty-five and thirty years ago the
change IN this respect appears most
marked. People. especially "a the big
cities. allow themselves so little time
for quiet reflection, from the moment
that they arise until the hour when they
retire 20 bed, that they may be said 10
and without due consideration. That they
should make SO few mistakes under the
circumstances speaks volumes Tor their
intuition. their mental alertness- and
their s0uuGness OF Judgment There is
an old adsge IN Europe TO the effect that
second thoughts are always the best. But
here in America IL IS the first thought
which always obtains, and almost inva-
riabiy with advantage. That Americans
experience occasionally the need for quiet
p gndisturbed reflection, however, Is
shown in a very curious manner IN
those or tire churches which are situated
in The business districts Of the various
great cities and which remain open
throughout the day. there arc usually
90 be- found prominent business men who
retire thither at the noon hour. not Tor
purposes Of prayer. but merely 10 have
quiet think. often about business mat
tiers, free from any kind Of interruption.
IN New York. 81 Peters. Barclay street.
one Of the oldest churches IN the me-
tropOiis, st Pgul's Church. which has
an even still larger number of years 10
its credit and Old Trinity are used in
this way and that. too. not merely b.
Christians Of every denomination. but
also by Jews There alone they find the
absolute fr-e,lou FROM every Disturbing
element which Is denied 70 them every
where else. from their waking until they
are overtaken by sleep.
Thus. Lord Rosebery is inclined TO at
tribute much o. the spread OF dementia
20 the haste and restlessneSs OF our mod
cn. twentieth century life. which show
themselves in an entire absence of re-
pose. ard in the development Of a perfect
MANN for speed, nos only where motors
are concerned, but also in steamship and
railroad travel To tuIs. many viii De
disposed to take exception In no coun-
try Of the world is hurry developed TO
such degree as in the United States
Yet statistics go 10 show hat the ratio
OF insanity 10 the population is not IN
any sense larger. but. or the contrary.
rather smaller than that among many
European nations. where more Ieisureiy
ways and methods prevail Il people are
kept so busy here In America that thew
have but little time for thought and quiet
reelection. they likewise have no time to
brood upon the subject of their real or
imaginary wrongs and miseries. and the
result is that We find here much less Of
that morbid intrOspectiOn which. whom
allowed free rein. too frequently devel-
ops into monomania. Strenuosity of
mind and of body are to such q degree
regarded by the leading alienists as bene-
fetal il cases Of diseases of ta7o mind
tnat ne find them endeavoring To cure
Queen Sophia OF Sweden Of her religious
meiancholia by compelling her to perform
the most arduous kind Of homework auo
of gardening, while chess. the most intel
lectuaily absorbing OF game, was pre-
sCribed with some success Tor the lat.
sovereign Prince OF LilpC. who spent the
greater part of his reign under restraint.
Leisure exists 20 much greater extent
in tho Old World han in America. where
everybody is led by necessity. by hered-
ity and by custom. TO labor for the sake
of fame or of wealth. Where leisure is
applied 10 philanthropy, 10 study. &c. it
ceases 10 De leisure But when not thus
employed. it becomes idleness. and the
latter is one Of the chief promoters OF in
sanity.
While strenuosity is beneficial to body
and mind worry is not. and it IS the alb
sence Of worry. resulting from Oriental
fataiism. that accounts largely for the
relatively small ratio OF insanity in both
Africa and Asia, True. statistics are
almost impossible TO obtain concerning
the prevalence of lunacy in these two
continents. owing TO the fact that the
mentally afflicted are rarely kept under
restraint. But the very fact that they
are perRitted TO wander about at viii.
regarded from the Atlantic coast Of
Northern Africa 70 the Pacific coast OF
EasternmOSt Asia. as under the partiel,-
lar protection OF the divine powers. and
treated in consequence with the utmost
kindness anu generosity. enables one 90
form some idea OF the relative paucity OF
their numbers, as compared with the
teeminR masses Of the population In
InHia frr. irsfancn .,lthn,r.-h - - -.