The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-11
WAR WILL CAUSE INCREASE OF INSANITY
AMONG NATIONS, DECLARES SPECIALIST

body and nerves is very much greater
than In former days. To he sure. means
OF transportation, food supplies and
manpuvres are better marshalled than
ever, but that simply means that
whereas formerly an army could only
travel so many miles day, now it will
have to travel more than double the
former distance. There may he more
rations available. but there are also
more mouths to feed. Automobiles may
be swift and convenient, but it is also
firing to run them.
The very rapidity of operations per-
haps makes war more strenuous than
when hand to hand encounter was the
issue. To estimate what nerve racking
experience campaign Is we have only
to contemplate an army when 1t Is
beaten, and how quickly retreat may
develop into rout with utter demon
alization of the troops. Observers have
stated that at such times soldiers, per-
haps without sufficient water and food.
become oblivious to everything, com
petely lose their perspective, act like
frightened animals. and become mere
creatures OF impulse. Stout hearted
fellows have been known TO cry Ike
babies. Many have actually gone mad.
|; requires greater gcneralship to con-
troll an army In defeat than one in
victory.
Again in former wars the ravagcs "
infected wounds and disease produced
hv famine and pestilonce were fright
tul. In fact these were the worst feat
ures Of war. Infectious and contagious
diseases often swept away whole rcgi-
ments. and the scourge was not con-
fined 10 combatants. but spread to nom
Combatants as well Then it was a
question Of the survival Of the fi;test.
The weaker ones succumhing and only
the most vlrile living
Hut the European war is a sanitary
war. In the first place, the present day
outlets. because of the heat created by
their enormous velocity. are practically
aseptic that Is. will not create blood
poisoning. and much fewer will lodge
within the body. being driven right
through In the second place. the med
ical corps are nowadays exceedingly
efficient. and much time and energy
will he given not only ~ preventing
the spread Of disease. but even more so
to its production.
Prophylaxis will he carried on every
where. Every ulfNNI anu Hlll ~ VI NIl'
American Red Cross ship which is sail
ing 10 Europe has been vaccinatcd and
| each one immunzed by inject Ions
against typhoid. and no doubt similar
precautions obtain abroad Further
more. the first aid work will probably
| be more thorough than formerly. and
| the medical and surgical technique
more expert But all this humanitar-
1gI
will live. and although they may he
| patched up better, they will still he
patched.
| Some hold that tho majority Of mental
di diseases are directly due to bodily dis
orders and others believe that hereditary
predispositlon Is an equally important
ca,Isative agent. This applies 20 both
psychoses and amcntia.
| Parents who have endured overexcr-
| ton, have suffered from poor health and
parents OF advanced years are more
prone to give birth to children with en-
feebled mentality who may develop in
sanity, epilepsy. hysteria. hypochon-
drasIs and eccentricty than are those
who are not SO affected Surely the
| children in the next generation born OF
the present warning nations will possess
| a heredity fraught with many or these
unfavorable Influences.
| What also tends 20 deplctc n race Is
| emigration. The strongest. kccnest and
most audacious leave and the weaker
are left behind War seems To affect
this also. and II Is IA curious fac' tina,
when the levy Of recruits was made In
Germany In 1875, OF the 1,lI9,O42 who
were supposed to appear for military
service. 1926 could not he found. 1O9, =
956 remained away without excuse, II =
293 had been sentenced for Illegal emf
grafton and li,934 were on trial for the
! same cause. To quote from The HUI
man Harvest" by David Starr Jordan:
The effects OF emigration run parable
with the effects of war but with this
enormous difference-the strong mer
who emlgrate are not lost to the world
The loss OF one region Is the gain Of the
other Bu, tho losses in war can yielC
no corresponding gain"
Does war perceptibly influence the
birth rate? Seemingly not, while eco
pomic conditions do.
After the Franco German war the