Norwich bulletin., 1909-01-23
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
The Prevention Of Insanity.

ne prevention OF insanity.
Mr.. Editor:-The Connecticut Socie-
ty of Mental Hygiene has recently is
sued an appeal for more adequate pro-
vision for the care of the insane of the
state. Charles w. Page, NJ. D., super
intendent of the hospital for the insane
at Danvers Mass, in his thirueth an
nual report, says:
1T may be asserted that the lunatic
hospital, per Sc, is not a remedy for
insanity. In fact, as generally regarded
by its inmates, it provokes inlmical
effects and in some cases aggravates
the mental disease. And yet the hos
pital is a necessity in many cases Of
mental disorder Through its humane
provisions the insane can be protected
from their own unreason, while the
evolution of natural physiological laws.
aided by the arts of the physician. 1t
may be, corrects the perverted pro-
cesses. For the most part the hospital
proper bears the same relation to in
sanity that a plaster splint bears to a
fractured bone. The physician may
render some important service, but he
is greatly in the dark as to the actual
requirement. The origin of the mental
disorder is so obscure or so remote in
the sequence of physiological events
that as a rule only advanced symptoms
can be subjected to treatment after
the patient mas been committed to the
insane hospital The prevention of in
sanity, rather than its cure, must be
accomplished, If this malady is to be
dealt with successfully"
DIR. Page and insanity experts the
world over maintain that insanity is to
a large extent a preventable disease.
wouldn't the Connecticut Society of
Mental Hygiene take a step in the
right direction by considering measures
to prevent the occurrence of insanity?
We must attempt to prevent its &C.
currence in the same way as we at
tempt to prevent the occurrence OF
what are called ordinarily bodily dis
eases. If 1t be admitted that to a large
extent preventable diseases exist
among US IN consequence Of the ignor-
ance of the people, it is clear that we
can only convert the preventable into
the prevented, by the removal of that
ignorance TIN ougn sounder education.
Men must be taught that it is their
duty, and not merely their interest, to
understand the laws of health and to
make them eventually the rule Of their
conduct. In short, we can only hope
that prcventable insanity, like other
preVentable diseases will be diminish
ed in amount when the education OF
men is so conducted as to render lh~n
both intelligent and dutiful guardians
of their own physical, intellectual and
moral health.
Says a well known writer on insan-
mo fact connected with insanity is
more firmly established than that it
largely originates directly from in
herited tendencies; and, if we include
all weaknesses, imperfections and dis
eases rising from the same source, II
may be found that more than half the
insanity of the present day can be
traced directly or indirectly back to
hereditary sources. Let 1t Je Under
stood. more and more. that disease and
insanity come mainly from inherited
causes; let young men and women be-
come thoroughly acquainted With such
facts and il must lead to greater care
fuIness in forming matrimonial alli-
ances. When the community IS yener-
ally informed on this subject, inquiries
will at once be made as to the health,
the constitution and the inherited ten
denotes of candidates for marriage.
Such inquiries are already made in
quiet way, and they must increase, In
the very nature of things"
Sir James Coke in a summary Of the
primary causes of insanity says the
leading factors are dissipation in all
its forms. overWork. meagre fare, lack
of ventilation. and neglect Of moral
culture 1t will be seen that each
one of these covers a great deal OF
+
neglect of moral culture-the other
four constitute the chief sources of
diseases Of all kinds some of which
terminate in mental arrangement. But
nearly all these great agencies, pro-
ductive Of so much disease of body and
mind, are subject to human control
and can be more or less checked, If
not entirely prevented.
The first named, dissipation. is
fruitful source Of insanity. This may
consist in drinking habits, in the use
of tobacco and opiates or in the abuse
of the sexual organs, by RIGHTEOUSNESS
and solitary vice. These evils are all
the results of voluntary acts, the work
of a free agent; and so they can be
prevented.
Overwork of body or mind not in
frequently brings on mental derange-
ment. Meagre fare and bad air are
evils which multitudes Of poor people
cannot always escape. Neglect OF
moral culture is an evil directly con-
nected with the choice of individuals,
and the state Of public morals. 1t is
a sin or an evil which can be correct
ed wherever the fault may be, and
there certatnlv can be no necessity or
justification for any neglect. Dr. Hen
ry Mandsley, the distinguished for
eien alienist. speaks on this point as
follows:
1T is to the perfecting of mankind
by the thorough application of true
system of education that we must look
for the development of the knowledge
and the power of self-restraint which
shall enable them, not only to protect
themselves from much insanity in one
generation. but to check the prOpoga-
ton Of it from generation OF genera
ton. Unhappily, we are not yet agreed
as to what should be the true aim and
character of education. Regarding the
subject from a scientific point of view,
the best education would seem to be
that which was directed to teach man
to understand himself, and to under
stand the nature which surrounds him
and of which he is a part and a prod