Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-04-16
HEREDITY CAUSE
OF MUCH INSANITY
STATE BOARD OF CONTROL TO RE-
PORT RESULT OF INvEST1GA-
TON TO LEGISLATURE.
IN FAVOR OF STERILIZATION.
Excessive Use of Alcohol Responsible for
1884 Per Cent. of Insanity
in State.
COMPLETE INVESTIGATION MADE

MADISON, Wis. April 12-[Special.I
That heredity is the primary cause of
blindness, insanity, epilepsy and feeble
mindedness, is disclosed in the data gath
cred by the state board of control under
special investigation authorized at the
last session of the Legislature, which
will be reported to that body within the
next few weeks.
Elver Complies Statistics.
Over $50 statistical tables proving this
contention, have been prepared. The re-
port will show that there are 54S cases of
blindness; 1894 of insanity; 5O7 of cpl
lepsy and 1872 of feeble-mindednes I'M
der the care of the state in various insti-
buttons. When the report is completed
the predominating features will be the
declaration that the evil effects of mar
riages in which one or both of the par
ties is unfit for marriage could be offset
by the passage of a sterilization" act,
such as the one now in force in Indiana,
and which has recently passed in Ne
braska and is pending before the Him
OILS Legislature. Former Assemblyman
Gilmore L. Elver, author of the steriliza-
ton bill which failed of passage two
years ago, has conducted the investga-
ton for the board.
Heredity Cause of AZ Per Cent.
OF the 1904 cases of insanity cited,
1896 are males; of which 251O are single
and SS5 are or were married. There
are 2599 insane females in the state, 1859
of whom are married and 144O are sin
gle. BY far the larger number of these
are natives" the highest ratio of insan-
+ FNr hniY ha inn
and Scandinavians. The figures com
piled disclose that 1921 per cent. are di-
rectly traceable as hereditary cases.
Aside from heredity the important
causes of insanity are worry, grief, and
the excessive use Of alcohol.
OF the total number Of cases Of in
sanity, the use of alcohol is given as the
direct cause of GIG cases, a ratio of
1884 per cent. OF the users of alcohol,
764 were males; of which $50 were sin
gle, 232 marrie0 so widowed, % di-
vorced and 9 unknown. OF the females
9 were single, 80 married and s widowed.
1t is interesting to note that large num-
Der of the worry and GRIEF cases
among the women were caused by worry
over divorce.
Classified according to ages, 1896 are
between the ages of 30 and 80; 1897 be-
tween 40 and 40; and 1927 between the
ages of so and 50. The tables regard
ing the OccupaI1Ou SLOW llluI Ilc hlSH~
est rate of insanity is among Eon-brain-
working people.
Blindness Is Preventable.
Of the 54S blind, hereditary transmits
sion is the cause of over 30 per cent of
the cases of which Pill per cent. are
preventable in that the parents were af-
Hicted with various preventable diseases.
This ratio is highest in the cities. A
bill introduced at this session of the
Legislature compelling all physicians to
use q certain solution on the eyes of
newborn babes will, it is said, percept-
IDLY reduce the number of cases of this
nature. Such cases as this-blindnesS
caused by neglect of the eyes at birth
are shown to have died almost always
before they reached the age of 30. There
are $50 blind males, 1856 females and
two negro men among the blind cases
cited.
Sixty per cent. of the feeble minded
ness is due to heredity according to the
figures presented. Of the 1872 cases,
1888 are unmarried. There are Az
males and 100 females.
The histories of the 5O7 cases of cpl
lepsy show that 40 per cent are due to
heredity. Of the total number 1893 are
single, ia are married, 2S4 are males,
and 223 are females. Among the epilep-
ties there is no other predominating
cause except heredity.
Investigation Most Complete.
This has been the most complete inves-
tigation into heredity as the cause of
blindness, insanity, feeble mindedness
and epilepsy ever conducted in the Unit
ed States since 1916, when Dr.. n. s.
Howell of Boston conducted his nota-
Bile inquiry as to the causes of mental
effectiveness.
Gilmore T. Elver who has been most
active in the preparation of the report.
is a Madison lawyer who was defeated
for reelection last fall by Frank Smith,
a retired Madison dentist. In spite of
his defeat however, he has devoted
large share of his time to the investiga-
ton, believing fervently in his bill to
compel sterilization Of detectives.