Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-24
INCREASE OF INSANITY.
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

The enormous increase in the spread
of insanity throughout the United
State has led those interested in the
general welfare TO take some steps to-
ward retarding this great. evil. The Rus-
sell Sage Foundation fund. devoted to
the advance of all departments of SOCIAL
welfare. has lately given consideration to
the spread of insanity. and is now con-
Quoting some Investigations which it Is
Hoped will aid in determining the causes
ind the remedy for the abnormal in
crease in mental detectives in America.
According to carefully prepared sta
tistics and estimates. insanity has m
creased 1N4 per cen. during the last forty
years. while the population during that
period has only increa sed 40 per cent. Ac-
cording to the reports of the board OF
charities for the state of New York
there were last year &c. 800 insane persons
being cared for in institutions in that
state. and this did not include those be-
ing cared for in their own homes or in
private institutions. This is practically
equivalent to one insane person for each
$50 Of the population of the state.
These figures. of course include pa
tients who have been in the institutions
for years. and therefore have been emu
merated a number of times. Ihere1ore
the statement that over :OMo persons
have been found insane in the state OF
New York during one year is rather mis-
leading The actual number Of new cases
admitted, far can be ascertained.
reached I.:Nl. which would amount to one
for each 1000 sane persons in the state
above sixteen years of age This is a
grave condition. especially when there is
every reason 10 expect that the showing
this ear will be even greater.
In many cases insanity may be brought
about by some phys al aiment. WHICH. II
properiy trea:od may
Many Cases Due be remedied. and with
to Bodily Ills. he,l,h the mental
health MAY be resained. Again there
are cases of sudden acute INSANITY
caused from some unusual stress OF CIT
cumstances. which might be cured by
proper treatment in its early stages.
which TOO often is not given. and thus
MANY people bee ONE permanently insane.
When an insane person is treated almost
as a criminal. in that he can on ! be
pla ed in hospital for treatment by
being committed by a court. the friends
Of such an unfortunate naturally will
have him placed in institution as a
last resor.. and in most cases that is TOO
late for recovery. For this reason the
need of a place designed for the tenn
porary reception of unbalanced lsrsons
is at last becoming recognized. and s>eps
toward the establishment Of such institu-
tons are being taken in different parts OF
the country.
Oklahoma has lately made great adj
vance in its provision for the care oil
persons mentally afflicted. Each state
hospital has provided psychOpathic
ward to which persons laboring under
mental decisions may be admitted with
out any form of commitment. and the
medical staff of the hospital decides
upon the treatment needed. Often it Is
only temporary. and the patient RECEIVERS
and renews his ordinary pursuits with
out having the stigma Of insanity at
tached to his name. All tina. is neces-
sary to admit patient to the psyche
pathic ward is an Affirmative answer to
the question: rs the patient suffering
from such degree OF brain or nervous
disorder that would make temporary
treatment in a psychopathc hospital ben
eficial?" 1t is believed that when the
dread of the stigma OF insanity has been
| removed by these methods persons suf-
ferng from severe mental strain will be
willing 10 go voluntarily to such hos
pital for treatment, and that the number
of cases of chronic insanity will be ma
terally decreas ed. This will also lessen
the expense Of the state in caring for
the insane, while giving to those who re-
qu!re it the best scientific treatment.