Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1907-01-02

! NAN|N OF AZ IENtNLM as INbtAAN +hN
and happiness OF indivddups, fam
1851, OF communities thaH any other
nalaoy known TO manlrind one In every
Tour hundred Inhabitants OF the United
States n crazy N the eyes OF the law and
here are probably three hundred thousand
tree persons IN this country who ehoud be
lmmured as menaces 20 society
Dr. Carlos +. Macdonald renders this
startling verdict as tho sequel OF more
than thirty years OF study and observa-
lion a. an anenist- He was asked how
man or woman may know when he or she
V not crazy.
Standing at the head OF his profession,
this great insanity expert has probably
diagnosed more homicide cases than any
living physician IN this country, the
most recent case involving his attention
being that OF Harry X. Thaw, VINO races
lrial for Staying Stanford white
Prior to the Madison Square roof gar
hcn tragedy nobody questioned the sanity
Of the young P1ttsourg man despite MS
periodic eccentriciies Since then, as
scene has followed scene In the tragic
kpflorue. tho one battling riddle OF the
case has boen.-"lB or was young IhaW
sane or insano7'
How Is sanity or the reverse determinedY
"a dementia becoming epidemic In TINS
/nltv and country, burdened. as are the
I n,erlcan people with ever weightier
cares and worries IN the race for golden
.oalr? Are faddisis. automobile entnusl-
49,. sky pilots. lovers and 80 on realiy
sane or safe members o. society
American aiienists are Just concluding an
h~tenaixe Investigation. OF certain mental
rocullarities among masses ana classes
k,th ! view 70 determining whether such
nbnormalities are evidences or INSANITY
nr merely queer traits haoitua 10 most
hurnan beings. They have decided that the
- v,,,.eented 20 them evidenced over
~-~ourht nerves rather than mental faint.
Manv tests made BY DR.. Macdonald and
his confreres have had amusing phases.
Mcn and women have been watched When
they sought spectacles, presumably ms
laid only to find them perched on their
hrows. others have been examined for
vvhat Is known as cat fear-a fear which
haunted even Napoleon, who would re-
treat from harmless tabby with more
alacrity than from a Russian regiment
examined, as were those superstitous per.
cons who fear TO wear opals, walk undei
LADDERS shatter mirrors. and so on.
Another case instanced Is that OF
wounx man who became engaged 70 hN'
voung women simultaneously and who NJ
s-i-- eo~qot his responsibilities In thu
~rcn,ses Was he demented2 His sup
nosed fancees thought so, but mental eN
merits have catalogued him as merely
victim OF strange absent mindedness %
recurrent loss Of memory. when may .
readily remedied. All or the cases Oh
served and recorded. however, were no
amusing and harmless. one, for instance
~sudied closely by DR. Macdonald was al
absent minded mother who tossed her bah
IN the FIRE. surprising the infant to be
bundle of wood This woman IS now con
fined In a hosptal-a confirmed victim Q
remorse or rather. regrefulness.
How many times have you looked a
your watch and replaced 81 In your poke
without having the slightest Idea OF tn
time? How often have YOU forgotte
Wheher you handed the street car cor
ductor a nickel? What Is your degree {
demenua2
Such cases are known technically
motor habits and are by no means ev
dences OF insanity. though they at tim'
border on dementia in that they evidens
mental weakness and wasting powers
concentration.