Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-17
speciai to Timss.RepnhAcan.

2 I. llS6A44ASy[ eAA0
are on the Increase 10 q fsot shown by
the most reliable statistics. The IN
crease is not peculiar to the United
States but Is apparent In many couh-
tries. The great majority OF cases are
due to p~reventable causes.
DETECTIVES l%neesasina.
Oh. Apologize declared thai not only
are our people becoming more nervous
but the insane, the inebriate, the cpl
leptic and the feeble minded are IN
~creasing in alarming manner
"a special census taken by the gov
eminent Of the Insane population IN
institutions in this country in 1904 ana
again In 1910 shows an increase OF 20
per cent in admissions annually" he
said. There are now in hospitals for
the insane in New York state approx
imately $4,000 insane persons, or n
for every 279 of its population. Since
1890, or during h past twenty years,
insanity in New York state has In
creased 104 per cent, while h popula-
ton of the state has increased during
the same period only 81 per cent. 1t
Is reported that in Massachusetts, the
insane population has increased even
more than in New York state. In
our wi state we have in hospitals for
the insane, private and county institu-
tons. about 5000 insane persons. or
one to every 375 Of u population.
During the past twenty years there has
been an increase Of 20 per cent n u
insane population. while the population
of our state has decreased during the
last decade"
t. C~4o p~3kofN thu {n00nn havQ
doubled in number in twenty years., in
France the number has increased so
per cent while In Italy 1t has tripled.
An Army Of Insane.
But there is now in the insane hos
pitfalls in this country an army Of more
than 1870, 900 insane persons, an army
greater in numbers by $4,000 than u
standing, army, and some 5000 more
than We have students in all Of U
colleges and universities. It Is esti-
mated there are now in this country
more than $50, 200 insane persons. 200,-
900 feeble minded and enough epileptics
and inebriates to make grand total
Of half a million Of these mental de-
fectives.
The number Of persons In state in
situations. however, Is to some extent
increased by a change in h attitude
Of the public toward hospitals and
greater willingness to make use Of
them.
1.-THE medical profession" said DR..
Apologize, las well as those engaged
in the care and uplift of the sick. de-
fective or fallen humanity, would, be
relieved Of an ever-present problem If
all Of Gods favored creatures acted
and reacted alike to the responsibilities
Of life, to the daily fight for bread,
to the wild chase after wealth, to the
exciting demands Of social responsible
ity, with Its joys and sorrows, with its
pleasures Inc disappointments. with
its cares and comforts. with its suc-
cess and failures. That SO many fall
short and fail to fill their measure. is
mostly due, many Of us believe, to one
Of two use
First, the existence Of a hereditary
predisposition to nervous or mental
diseases, inebriety, epilepsy or feeble
mindedness, causing not always death
but incapacity.
Second the development Of a gen.
eral diseased condition thru veneral
diseases or from the free use Of alcohol
or narcotics"
AleohoI's Terrible Toll.
DR.. Apologize ave statistics OF the
relation between inebriety and use OF
narctics to insanity. In 5000 consecu,
tive admissions to the Mount Pleasant
hospital. alcohol is given as a cause
directly or Indirectly in IS per cent'of
the admissions. More than so per cent
of tho offspring Of alcoholic fathers
are mentally defective. In 500 recent
admissions in twenty-five large hospi-
tails for the insane, alcohol either alone
or I'm combination with narcotics was
an important factor In 81 per cent. The
increase In the use Of alcoholic bever-
ages has been great; as also the in
crease in the Importation and use Of
cocaine and morphine.
Those who are interested in this
work should look to the protection Of
the mental health Of the public at large
and promote the study of mental dis
orders in all their forms and relations.
We should teach the physicians how to
prevent mental disease and advise and
treat those already suffering from
mental disorder. There ere, I believe,
only q few medical colleges In this
country conducting q psychiatric
clinic. I would recommend the estab-
lishrnent Of more psychopathic hospi-
tails with improved methods Of admis-
sion and commitment Teachers In our
'scho6lbs and colleges should Join In
campaign in mental hygiene. More
school physicians should be employed,
as they soon become expert in detect
ing Unborn ana acquired defects. The
establishment Of special classes for
'feebly endowed Backward and 'exs
ceptionaY children would remove Z
great burden from the teacher ana DO
exceedingly helpful 10 the children,
Con9resss could consider no mSrsaiih-t