The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-12-21
WH|SKEY AND BAD
BLOOD--|NSANITY
rs Per Cent OF Mental Trouble Comes
From Alcoholic Stimulants and
Infectious Diseases, Says
Akansas' Noted Alienist.

Little Rock, Dec. i5.-With the
statement that rs per cent of the
insane patients treated in hospitals
at public expense are there because
of alcoholic stimulation and infec-
tious blood troubles, DR.. J. l..
Greene, superintendent of the State
Hospital for Nervous Diseases, in
lecture given Sunday night at the
Second Presbyterian church, dis
cussed the causes of insanity and
their relation to the social prob
lens Of the present day.
DR.. Greene was called on to speak
before the congregation of the
church, and as it was his first pub
lie appearance before large audi
ence in Arkansas, Rev. Hay Watson
Smith, pastor of the church, intro
duced him as an expert of long
standing in his line and physician
who desired not only to treat the
insane, but to prevent its spread by
educational methods.
Leading up t. the discussion o
the insane problem, he stated that
no insanity was directly hereditary.
More than 80 per cent of the insane
have this predisposition. This
leaves over 40 per cent that acquire
insanity during life.
He said in part:
disappointment in a love affair,
the loss of a parent, business re-
verse and many others of like ma
ture are mentioned These things
are but incidents of the stress OF
life. Every person must necessarily
suffer the loss of a relative or a
dear friend, and if this caused in
sanity nearly everyone would be in
a hospital. However, these sudden
shocks, taken with the predisposi-
tion to insanity, may cause the un-
balancing of the mind. These eaus-
es are but minor ones compared
with those | will not discuss.
Alcoholic stimulation and infec-
tious blood diseases are the causes
of most of the acquired insanity. In
consideration of the alcoholic trou-
bile, it is necessary to state and ex-
Iplain that every person who is slim
ulated is not driven to insanity, be-
cause of the individuals FESTIVE
strength. Some people have the
power to resist more stimulation
than others. Again, one point thai
is not clearly understood is the inn
bibing habits of the ancients. Among
the ancients the distillation of liq-
uor was unknown. They derived
alcohol by fermentation process
and their drinks contained not more
than IS per cent. Our modern liq-
uors, highly distilled, contain more
| than so per cent in many cases."
The Social Evil.
The next point taken up was the
social evil, and DR.. Greene stated
that from the infectious diseases re-
sulting from enIs evil there were
more insane patients than from any
other one cause. One reason foI
a social evil, he said, was the seem
ing terrible mystery surrounding
the whole relation of the sexes anC
the false modesty that seems to be
the custom of the present time.
Following the weakening of the
physical organism by veneral dis
eases come the stresses of life ir
every persons careers" he contin-
ued. "Softening of the brain, which
experts claim can only result from
blood infection, follows, and we have
a case of man who fails mentally
in his middle life, generally attrib-
uted to the strain of business, etc.
I'm many cities, and in Little Rock
there is board of health which
has for its object, among others, tho
seeking out Of contagious diseases
land the strict quarantine of such
leases as smallpox, diphtheria, scar
let fever, ETC., but do you ever hear
of action being taken against The
most malignant and infectious Of
blood diseases"
Among the remedies DR.. Greene
suggested were two:
First, a higher grade of morality
placing men and women on tho
same level: also a deeper eonsidiera-
ton for the marriage contract anc
the responsibility of the relation
growing out of it.
Second, the better and more COM
plete education of children on the
great fundamental relationships OF
life, an education which, he said
should be begun in the home ana
Carried through The schools