Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25
Steady Increase of Cases.

''rhe steady increase of insanity cases
IN the District of Columbia" Commissioner
West said yesterday, interested me from
several points of view. In the first place
the care OF the insane is very heavy bur-
den upon the District, and Il is q burden
which by the way has increased in a ratio
much greater than the number of cases.
For instance. the appropriation ten years
ago, In 1896. for the care of the insane was
sl02, 26o. while for the present year It is
$2i2.S00. In other words, the number OF
patients has doubled while the cost has
increased nearly three-fold. Even more
serious than this question Of expenditure is
the Increase in the number of the cases. i
was interested IN learning, first of all,
whether this increase was abnormal In the
District compared with other cities Then
| desired 10 find out whether the fact that
Washington Is the national capital was re-
sponsible for the large number of insanity
eases and above all, ! thought II would be
interesting and important 10 determine
whether any steps could be taken, through
legislation or otherwise, to decrease the
prevalence OF the disease"
What Investigation Has Shown.
What has the investigation thus far
shown
"In my search for information" Mr. West
replied, II conferred with Justice Gould of
the Supreme Court of the District Of CO.
iumbia and gained considerable knowledge
as TO the character of the cases which are
brought into court. l also asked the as
sistance OF DIR. William l.. Robins, who has
had wide experience an alienist and the
report which he submitted to me this morn
ing shows that the increase of insanity in
the District Is not dsproportionate to the
number of cases In other cities This is
encouraging, so far our own environ
ment Is concerned. but on the other hand
1t emphasizes the necessity for serious in
quiry into the reasons why insanity is SO
much more prevalent now than formerly.
some remedy is to be afforded, no doubt
through the enactment OF q law placing rig
orous restrictions around the sale of CO.
caine, morphine etc. Although the sta
tistics show that only two persons out of
4O6 were committed last year for morphio-
mania and only eighteen for dlpsomania /
am Informed that the provision OF the law
which prevents the commitment of persons
20 the insane hospital for inebriety conf
pels other reasons TO be assigned. Whether
this be true or not. the enactment of the
proposed legislation would be a step I'm the
right direction. The great majority OF the
eases described as ,deiusional insanity,
acute aud chronic mania, religious mania,
dementia and melancholla. Cases Of this
kind cannot be reached by legislation and
OTHER methods of procedure must he de-
yised. II is also worthy of attention that
the figures show q comparatively small
number OF uon-residents. The general i'm
preston is that the majority of the insane
cases here is composed Of persons who.
Niiitt SAiAtlAAS NUN tefASibuS VI fdIiuNS
kinds, are attracted TO the capital This is
not, however. the case. \ very large per-
centage of the persons committed have re-
sided here for two years at least
Suggestions for Improved Conditions
Have any suggestions been made which
Will improve eonditions?"
DIR. Robins expresses the hope that a
commission will be appointed to inquire
thoroughly into this important matter and
report For my Own part 1 know that IN
London the increase of insanity is being
made the subject of careful study. Whether
commission can arrive at any conclusion
which will lessen the number of insanity
cases-and this, after ALL is the practical
result desired-is a question I cannot an
swer. Such commission could however
devise a plan for the care and treatment
Of persons in whom the disease is incipient
and this 70 one Of the suggestions which