Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-09-23

BY Frederic J. Haskin.
The proceedings Of that section of
the International Congress of Hy-
giene and Demography which deals
with the prevention Of mental diseases
will be ranked among the most inter-
esting features Of the sessions of the
big organization. Along with other
non contagious diseases, insanity is
making heavy inroads upon the health
OF the nation. While the sick rate and
the death rate from all germ caused
diseases is constantly declining
through the increasing effectiveness Of
hygienic measures, the opposite is true
of those diseases which are not caused
by germs, and notably true of mental
diseases. 1t has been shown, for in
stance. that there are approximately
three times as many insane people In
the United States today as there were
before the civil war in proportion to
population.
The United States now has ma
tional organization for the extension
OF hygienic measures against mental
diseases. and it will tell, through one
of its leading members, just what has
been accomplished along that line. 1t
is generally recognized that there arc
now numerous preventable causes of
mental unbalance, such as too free use
Of intoXicants, the marriage and rear
ing Of families by weak minded peo-
pie, morbid surroundings, and the like
A study of the causes and an effort to
assess the responsibility that shall be
laid at the door of each. will be one
of the features of the discussion. 1t
also has come to be understood that
thousands who formerly were given
up toa be hopelessly insane may be
treated in such a way as to restore
their mental balance and make them
useful members of society. At the
government hospital for the insane at
Washington a system of prolonged
cross examination to find the real
cause of the victims decisions has been
resorted to, and once the doctors are
able to hit upon the idea that threw
the victims mind off its balance. sue
cess frequently attends their efforts
to break down the delusion.
Long Studied by Educators.
Feeble mndedness has long been
the study of educators and medical
men, with a view both to alleviating
the condition Of those who suffer and
to prevent the birth Of feeble minded
children. In order to get at the sub
ject properly It was decided by the
English royal commission on the fee
ble-minded to define its varying de-
grees. To those who from birth or an
early age are so defective that they
arc unable to guard themselves against
common physical dangers 1t gave the
name Of idiot An "imhecile'' it de-
fined as one incapable of earning a
living but capable Of guarding against
ordinary physical dangers Those who |
arc able to earn their own living I'M
der favorable circumstances, but who, |
from birth or early age are incapa BILE !
of managing themselves and their af : !
fairs with ordinary prudence, it called |
"morons.' 1t has been estimated that |
the proportions of the people of weak |
mindedness from childhood are about
as follows: Idiots, % per cent: imbe- !
Giles, so per cent; and morons % per
cent
The moron is pronounced the worst |
drag upon society, since few people |
recognize him as really feeble minded, |
but regard him as only "A stupid per-
son, with too much sense to be called |
crazy and too little to be called strong
minded. Usually he becomes either IA
pauper or a criminal. 1t has been
found by investigation by the famous
Cation laboratory that there are many
paupers in the anshouses of England
whose narents grand -,,,ra,ts ,na
great grand -narents woro ,,a'rars w.
fore them
Heretofore LITTLE bona has ,oon ,,a,a
ont of eIin,inatin. Observation-Disclosures
because no one had On, ,,,na o,ro
il was presumed tha, M cnra .o,,d No.
founl-a line of reasoning that rnrId
have been fatal IA tho he,as -, eta
in. all great cures for diss,s. ,,a ,tsa
TODAY had II been folIowed In Tho