The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-20

children. The absence of children IN
certain other types Of families might
| readily leave to idleness an opporsu-
nifty for Indulgence that would be
distinctly opposed to the best tenet:
| Of mental heelth, and so the question
| might be considered, you see, from
| many standpoints."
rs insanity becoming more and
more curabie?"
I'VE are learning how to influence
| mental disorder as never betore. so
far. however. the general result on
the durability of that whole mass OF
conditions which are comprised under
the term insanity is not material.
No New Forms of Madness.
Are there any new forms OF In
sanfty?" 1 asked DR.. White. In con-
clusion.
In all probability there are no new
forms of insanity" he said. II they
are not recorded in the older works
III was simply because they were not
observed. Probably they all existed.
and the more we are acquainted Win
the older writer's the more we are as
founded to find recorded in their works
observations of conditions wnlcn we
thought We had discovered"
But let US get back to the original
question: Are we growing crazler!
and to the census office. whose recent
figures would indicate that we are.
1T appears from these statistics that
the number OF persons becoming in
sane, In the average American COM
munity of 100000 persons, has m
creased nearly is in six years. Com
menting on these figures. DR.. j. A. Hail.
1T must be remembered that these
figures include only the insane who
are committed to hospitals. AS to the
number of cases of insanity not re-
sulting in such commitments .ns
possible that the Increase in the mum.
Der Of commitments per 100000 Is not
due in any considerable degree to an
increased prevalence Of insanity, put
simply to an extension Of this method
of caring for the insane. 1t is
change that might result from an in
crease in the number of institutions
OF this class and from an increasing
disposition on the part OF the puolic
TT is somewhat startling to reflect
| that the 1s7,454 patients confined in
our hospitals for the insane make up
| a population larger than that OF the
| city Of Columbus. Ohio.
The State which. in proportion to
II its population on. had at our last inquiry
the largest number Of insane reported
in institutions was Massachusetts. with
3446 per l00. 900 population. New YORK
however, had almost the same proper
tkO0, namely SOL pei 4vS'VV~ PoASSx
ton. And the State which ranks next
is Connecticut. where the ratio Is s2l;i
per loo, 900 population. But IT should
| be borne in mind that the variations
between diQerent States IN the number
! of insane IN institutions, In proportion
to population. are probably due to dif-
ferenoes in the sufficiency of provision
: for caring for the insane In this way
Il and also TO differences as regards the
practice Of committing the insane to
| institutions, quite as much as 10 va
riations in the insanity rate prevail
| ing in different communities. Inere
| is no doubt, for example. that In Mas
saohusetts and New York, where the
figures are the highest. better pro
vision Is made for the care OF the
| insane In institutions than In most OF
the other States
Least Insanity IN West.
| TN general the number OF insane
! In hospitals is. in proportion to poPu-
I iation, much smaller in the west than
| in the East The ratios are also smali-
! er in the South than in the North In
thirty-four Of the States and Terri
tories the ratio Of insane In tnstitu.
tions to total population has increased
In the six-year period. MOST OF Ihe
States in which this ratio mas oe-
creased lie west of the Mississippi:
these Comm onwealths including all OF
the Pacific Coast States and all OF the
Mountain States but three-Wyomine'
Colorado and New Mexico.
THE section OF the country SHOWING
this decrease has undergone a very
rapid Development in recent years. and
il is possible that the new POPULATION