New-York tribune., 1911-01-15

-, city as much accustomed TO
-.,,s as New York was staggered by the
-, announcement of Or. Albert War
-. Ferris. president of the New YORK
-. commission in Lunacy. that one
-, =, every 30 Of the population OF New
- STATE IS insane-that insanity has
,-s.ss5 ,og9 per cent since 1880. as
-, an increase Of as per cent in the
s,a,4s population Of s'll521a
!, msv he comforting to learn. after as
,,,,us,ipg these figures. that an organized
sa,o,sien for the prevention Of insanity
,os been started Jointly by interested phy-
.i,isns hospitals philanthropists and the
60. charities Aid Association. which has
- ,he work and under the auspices of
,,tieh II will ne carried on
.o,,r work is cut out for us absolutely
=, the medical profession" SAID Homer
1-o,se secretary OF the State Charities Aid
,.,ci,tion THE first thing 20 be done IS
i,,srsss uron the community that
- ,srt NJ the insanity can he prevented
80 hat something can he done toward
-. prevention Of insanity in general Our
....,6 move viii he toward the assistance
:, ,si,tduals. our next. that OF popular
Question
FYsb work viii Dc extended along two
,,sin lines. cne NJ which adds field ply
,irian and trained after care" nurse 10
,bs voluntary after care" committees
,orkirg in esch hospital district. and the
other looks 10 illustrated lectures through
ont the district by physician connected
with the hospital
Another measure is the cooperation Of
family end hospital physicians and the or
s-rizatioa Of an out-patient department
IN connection with each state hospital I'm
tie FIRST plan the physician gains an alien
,sts point ~ view on his case and the
ont patisnt department will enable him to
consult. without Zee. alienists who will
give him advice and suggestions as 70
certain symptoms in p patient. and help
him N handle that and future cases so
that insanity will not develop The out
rstiert department will also help and ad-
sisA incipient mental cases, and try 10 in
6uoe those who would he benefited by hos
ritaI care 70 enter the hospital voluntarily.
Next. DR. Ferris and all the forces back
of him urge the establishment Of psyche
rathic wards as part Of general hospitals
knd" or undetermined cases may be re-
tsived for observation and care. It is
pointed out that with few exceptions, the
Cd barbsrous treatment OF the insane be-
fore commitment still exists The commit.
zee reports the same violations OF the law,
ihe same locking up Of women in the care
of men, without attendance by persons OF
their own sex; the same unsanitary sur
roundings, and the same exposure to dis
rnmfort. misery and harsh and injurious
measures" which. slenists say have ag-
yravated many a mild case into violent
and incurabls insanity.
Every alienist who has spoken for The
Tribune on the subject Of insanity and its
prevention has expressed the opinion that
some cases prove incUrable and some much
more aggravated than they need he be-
cause they have not had proper treatment
early enough This they attribute 10 the
fact that tho malsdy has not been recog-
riled In time. and TO ignorance and preju-
dice on the part OF the patients friends
ard relatives regarding a hospital for the
insane
Dr. " s. Gregory. who has charge Of
more than ten thousand alcoholic patients
end three thousand FIVE hundred insane per-
sens in Bellevue every year. says: I'VE rs
associations and individuals, cannot pre-
vent insanity with dispensaries and clinics.
We can only cure or care for il after II
Genes 10 us. In the prevention of insan-
!'y," Dr.. Gregory grew emphatic, "the
state must take the question I'm hand. The
state can prevent IT," DR.. Gregory's fist
punctuated this statement on his desk.
The sale Of alcohol ought 10 be re-
tlrietsd Alcoholism IL one Of the prinei-
pal causes Of insanity; alcoholics are the
fathers and mothers of the insane, epi-
leptic and feeble minded: yet we have
saloons on almost every corner. Whenever
We try to do anything to diminish this
evil at once the saloon men and their
friends raise the cry Of personal liberty"
Whenever an epidemic of some infec-