New-York tribune., 1906-08-10
Aspects OF INSANLTY

The report on the insane in hospitals in the
United States. just issued by the Census Bu-
reau, contains n large amount of interesting
information, though it can hardly be said to
throw any important new light on the problem
of insanity or give any authoritative answer
TO the question whether or not mental disease
is seriously on the increase. On December 81
1903, there were 32S public and private hOspi-
tails for the insane in the United States with
1J0151 inmates, while in 1890 there were 1862
hospitals, with 74,02S inmates. Ten years be-
fore, in 1890 there were only 4O942 insane
persons in hospitals. This shows an increase
of patients in hospitals from S1.6 per 100000
Of the population in 1880 to 1882 in 1890 and
1862 in 1903
This would seem to indicate a rapid increase
OF insanity. but it is to be remembered that the
hospital treatment of the insane has been de-
velOping. Only few years ago a large proper
ton of the insane in New York State We're
cared for in pOorhOuses. The old prejudice
against putting lunatics in asylums has been
decreasing with growing confidence in the hui
manity of their administration and in the pOss-
bility of cure with prompt institutional treat
ment. large increase in the hospital pOpula-
ton, therefore. does not necessarily indicate an
increase of insanity. Nor are we sure that it is
indicated by the report that the number Of in
sane in hospitals is larger than the total num-
years. IN 1903 the insane in hospitals num-
bered 1862 per 100000 of the population while
in 1880 the total number of insane reported was
only 1893 per 100000. 1t is only within recent
years that the mentally diseased who do not
show signs of violence have been reported as in
sane. Everybody of mature age can remember
the mild lunatics and village fools who lived at
home, earned partly earned a living and
voted at elections An alienist would undOubt-
oil %
but the census taker never thought OF CHASING
them as insane. The experts have, with in
creasing vigilance especially at assze and will
breaking time), been sitting out minds differing
from an ideal normal mind, which probably
never actually existed, until it is doubtful how
many persons could get a certificate of scientific
sanity. Napoleon, Pope Plus IX and many
other great men were epileptics. Perhaps many
persons quite as healthy in mind as they were
are now recorded as unsOund and cared for in
institutions.
The statistics show that the increase-Or ap-
parent increase-in insanity is greater among
males than among females, except perhaps in
the case of foreign born whites. II is more
prevalent among the foreign born whites than
among the native whites. in spite of our inspec-
ton OF immigrants. OF the insane in hospitals
416 per cent so far as could be ascertalned.
had been employed as Iaborers or servants, %. 5
per cent ia dSAiCuAIuIe' transportation anu OIuet
outdoor pursuits, and 16 per cent in manufact-
uring and mechanical industries. For males
the percentages in the three classes of en-
pIoyment were respectively 30.7, 81 and ola
while 6S3 per cent of the females had been
servants 60 per cent dressmakers and As per
cent teachers.
These figures do not show the evil effects of
the strenuous modern life, which is so often re-
ferred to as the cause of insanity No large
number of the typical Illustrations Of the mod
ern spirit seem to go insane. The large pro-
portion of foreign labOrers, and especially
female servants, suggests another cause. That
is not the pressure of life, but the difficulty Of
acclmatlzatiOn-using that term to denote the
whole process of adaptation TO new physical,
mental, social and industrial conditions. Prob
ably most of these laborers and servant girls
have at least easy work and as good food as
| they had at home. But they are suddenly