New-York tribune., 1907-07-06
WORK INSANE CAN DO.
Mid MGdmen Make Kind Children s
Narse8, Says Nr. johnson.

Wanted, an insane nurse for a baby" That is
the sort OF advertisement that may be appearing
presently. II parents agree with Alexander john
son. who spoke at the School Of Philanthropy yes
terday care of the Insane" Mr.. Johnson
touched on the practice Of boarding out insane
people who are capable of working, a practice
which is followed quite extensively in Scotland
and some other European countries, but which
only of the states-A1assac cIUsetts-has adopted
so far He said the insane of this class were per
fecty able 10 earn their living, and. among other
things they could do, insane men made the best
nurses for children he had ever eeen-anectonate
faithful and kind.
There are any number of people with mental
twist who are yet capable of filling useful place
IN the worId,' lie said. My friend " no cobhies
my SHOES is one I know. Go 70 modern insttG-
ton for the insane, and you VIII probably ma
that the letter carrier who in and ont through
the gates and a mile away 10 the postofice, is one
of the patients. The huge three story four
story building IN which the insane. both durable
and incurabe, violent and milo, We're alike herded
behind bolts and bars is horror Of the past.
Nowadays institution Of the best type fCr the
insane will have seventy or eighty buildings, in
which the patients living home life. and
thousands OF the insane IN institutions lie down
ana rise un, month after month. without Key
being turned them. And not being locked In,
they are willing 10 stay around Try II on yourself
some night II you were locked In your bedroom
you'd be insane 10 get out, but being free TO go
ont. you don't desire TO"
Mr.. johnson spoke earnestly Of the need OF the
best facilities for the prompt treatment Of the In
sane. THE possibility Of d dimnishes one
half with every three months he said There
IS twice the chance OF curing who has just
become insane that there is when he has been In
sane three months, and twice the chance then that
there is when the insanity has lasted six months
Fs>chol atl-lc wards ioF the observation OF 'Aose
supposed 20 be insane beginning 70 be feature
OF cur hospitals. and wish there were more OF
them. You don't have to go through any uresome
process Of commitment to enter one Of these wards
You can even drop in by yourself and say that YOU
think you insane and would like 10 be under
voluntary commitment That IS being advised
nowadays 10 teach people that there is nothing
- o Gf ned ms fz 3
crime, the feeling once; II is a sickness no
more to be ashamed OF than a headache OF course.
II we knew enough. we'd be ashamed Of head
aches. and I've known men with headaches in the
morning they should have been ashamed Of: but
rs general thing. physical sickness isn't account
ed disgrace, ana insanity Is a physical disease
All authorities dc rot agree with this. but most
physicians hold. and I believe rightly, that there
never P mental disease without physical dis
order somewhere And-this is a curious thing,
considering what innumerable delicate conyou-
lions the brain has-you may examine the brains
Of thousands OF insane without finding the slight
est lesion"
Mr.. johnson paid his respects in passing 10 the
people who advocate the lethei chamber for the
lncurably insane. The argument of Why not
put them out Of their misery?'" he observed
verely belongs 10 the reign Of gross materialism
which trust VIII not come in my day or in yours
Such these must be kept clean and conforta BILE
and there are many OF them who capable Of
sort OF industrial re-educauon and OF doing use
ful work In some asylums kindergartens and
schools are being established for the insane. We
Just learning TO treat insanity intelLgently
are twenty universities in Germany which have
hospitals for the insane attached, where the
aents can observe and study the disease. The Uni
versity OF Michigan is the only one in the United
States equipped
The apparent increase Of insanity is due 20 sew
eral causes. We find out and report the insane.
our ancestors did not And the strenuous modern
life IS one pregnant cause Of insanity"
But loneliness VIII cause insanity, too said
listener
True" assented Mr.. Johnson "All kinds Of
things cause insanity. A physician in North Da-
kota told me the Kind drove women insane out
there-the wind whistling around the drcary little
houses. The men out IA the fields, with the wind
rushing past their ears, not affected by IT,
but the weird sound IT makes. crying and shrek
Ing about the house, is frequently too much for a
lonely woman.
Probably one-Aft'a OF per cent Of the popuIa-
lion Of this country IS IN Institutions for the in
zane Perhaps one-half Of those who are supposed
ly cured again become insane but figures are fire.
uuently deceptive Alr- Johnson added Il knew a
small hospital fo- the insane where the proportion
OF recovcries vas diminished one-haIP by a woman 8
death. This woman became insane once a month
was admitted. treated q few days, and discharged
That made twelve discharges a year. and as there
were only about twenty-four in all, when she died
IL made quite difference IN that hospitals rec
pr6s."