Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-20
DRINK AND INSANITY.

LIQUOR sellers and fathered by O'Don-
nell. deserve the gratitude Of all decent
citizens in this community. The pres
ent law Is bad enough. And the al
legged guardians OF IL are permitting the
saloons and high-class drinking hells
10 violate Il with impunity every day
IN the week. which Is not strange as
long as a saloon keeper is an innuen-
tial member Of the council II the pro-
posed new ordinance were TO become
law things would go from bad TO worse.
There would be moro saloons and more
drinking There would be more gamb-
ling robbery. man slaughter. and de-
bauchery. We hope the ladies' viii
fight the matter out to a finish, and
that they will have the support OF
every moral agency In this City or
course, some OF the Christian clergy
men are handicapped. because they de-
pend on contributions from brewers
and saloon keepers, but there are 9TH
ers who are under no obligation TO
that element. and they might marshal
the moral forces az their command
IN support OF the effort against the
drink evil.
The fight against the saloon is a
struggle against one Of the most stu
pendous and most threatening evils Of
the present time. Recently a congress
Of charities was held at Stamford,
Connecticut. and papers we're read on
various subjects, by experts one was
on Insanity. by DIT. Amos ]. Givers.
This gentleman went into the sub
ject very thoroughly He showed that
the increase OF insane persons IN this
country is far in excess Of the increase
OF population IN New York the
Increase OF the insane. In twenty years.
was o. per cent while the increase "
The ratio of insane 90 the general
population OF the state OF New York,
he said. according to the latest figures,
is to $40. and figures from other
states taken at random t-u tho same
story ~ constant increase. idaho. for
instance gives us Insane patients
under state charge. proportion Co pop
uiluon u 1850 about ] iu 1900; In
$780, D iu 169. FOR the state of wash
ington in 1850. Z 90 635. iu 1900 Z Ia 402.
Dr Fletcher. Of the State of Indiana.
says that fifty or a hundred wears ago
Il was rare 20 hear OF a case of lunacv.
now lt is Of almost daily occurrence.
Today ln Indiana there is one case of
insanity in every 900 Of the population.
About the same ratio obtains for Illi-
nois. In Virginia the ratio Of insane
~ the general population is ! tu $40
The conditions In some foreign cum
tries are hardly very much better In
Great Britain the figures Of tine Eng
fish commissioners in unacy show that
in 1859. ] In every 523 of the population
was lnsane in 1890 In Al. in 1850. 1
90 $780, and IN 1890 the ratio had risen
20 I in 500 In thirty years insanity
had therefore increased from On 52s to
/ IN 800 or had come unpleasantly near
doubling the ratio to population in that
period
For England and Wales the commits
sioners In unacy gave out the state
ment that January 1. 1903. the proper
tion OF insane 10 population was ] IN
293. For the previous year Il was cs-
timated that the number Of people
throughout England and Wales who
lost their minds was 225St or about
300 per week. This is about 3 every
hour. day and night January Z. 1904.
tho ratio had Increased To ! in every
2s5 Of the entire population of Eng
land and Wales DR. Robert Jones.
in his presidential address on the
Evolution OF Insanity" delivered be-
fore the Medico Psychological Associa-
ton Of Great Britain and ireland. July
20 1906, after quoting the above figures
said; we also know that possibly the
same number are on the borderland Of
insanity and are being daily precipl-
tatcd into the asylums."
For Scotland Ia 1907, Il was reported
In the London Lancet" that during
the last three years there had been "a
decrease OF insane persons in propor-
ton 70 the population. and that this
was the first time such a thing had oc-
CURED since 1855. During the whole
period, however the increase had
amounted TO 200 per cent. while tho
population had Increased only DC per
cent.
In Ireland between 1871 and 1901
there was no appreciable increase I'm
the proportion OF insane 20 population
between the ages Of 20 TO 55. but there
was very large Increase ga ratio in
the old-age period.
Now, as 90 the causes OF this alarm
ing deterioration OF the human mind
in tho English speaking world. Dr.
Givens does not hesitate 10 mention
drunkenness as the chief. lie auotos
on English alienist who says: TT only
the evils Of alcohol and venercaI dis
eases were disposed OF. then half the
problem Of insanity would disappear
with them.
About so per cent Of cases OF Insanity
are charged TO hereditary predisposi-
ton, but the Doctor says. 1--WE hnd the
statement, so Tar uncontroverted, that
10 per cent Of tho inmates OF an the
insane hospitals IN the United states
are descended from alcoholic parents
a study OF $40 males. new admissions
10 the Norristown State Hospital for
The Insane, Norristopn. Pa, from April
J. 1907. to April 1, 1909 gave the fol-
lowing results. In 46 per cent. alcohol