Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1909-08-26
The COST OF FAST
LIVING IS HEAVY.
Reports of Alienists Show an
Alarming Increase Of In
sane Patients.
From the Washington Post.

From the Washington Post.
The alienists of New York adm.
there is grave cause for concern writ
ten in the figures recently compiled by
the State Charities Aid association of
the Empire state regarding the number
of persons In the insane asylums. On
October / last the asylums reported
patients to the number OF 30,507, an
excess over the previous year of 1,414
This increase is nearly double the
of insane patients for the last 10 years.
J and the aggregate is. OF course, by far
the largest in the history of New York
There can be no doubt as to the
cause directly responsible for this alb
| normal increase in the number of per-
sons losing their minds in the busiest
state OF the union. Briefly put, the
principal cause is worry. Americans
are charged everywhere with living too
fast with hurrying too much, with en-
deavoring to do in a day the work OF
a week. and chatting IL the task they
set for themselves is not accomplished
In the time assigned for 1t. This is
true of all Americans-except Phila-
delphias. But in the New Yorker is
found the perfection of the fault, Men
in that city rush to business, rush to
their food, rush home and to the clubs.
During business hours they work like
dynamos. and when they take their
pleasure uney take IL as lHOuSn lIley
had but one hour to live.
The same is true of the New York
woman. Her household duties, when
She has any, are taken at mad pace.
Social obligations are hurdled with fly
Ing leaps, and she shops as though
afraid that all the bargains would be
gone before she got chance at them.
Even the children are taught to make
haste" in everything.
The result Of Sucn fast living is that
the system of the New Yorker is ply
sically and mentally constantly on q
strain. And when a hitch comes, a
aelay, misfortune, interruption, he has
no elasticity with which to meet 1t. He
breaks because there is no give" left
In him.
When panicky year comes along
and business Stacks, the New Yorker
does his best to keep it up to the for
ner notch. He cannot be content with
less than he had had. He has no
philosophy enabling him to bear with
what cannot be helped He has no re-
siliency by which to recover himself
Like taut fiddlestring, all his powers
have been exerted to their utmost to
keep up the regular pace, and there is
nothing left for him but to snap. Thus
1t happens that very period of business
depression in the city of vanities is fol-
lowed by a marked increase in the
minds.
1t is rare thing to hear of an Eng
I1shman going insane over business
worries. 1t Is a rarer thing for such
calamity to befall a German. Even the
| Philadelphia, American in everything
| else, is seldom known to become de-
mented because the dividends fail. All
Of these have other interests in life
besides business. They turn to them
| for relaxation during business prosper
| ity and for stimulus when business
fails. But the New Yorker lives for
business, and when he sees 1t crumb-
| ling his life crumbles with it.
| The rest OF the country might take
q fair warning from his fate and avoid
making money it's ultimate god.