Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-07
TENEMENT CAVES
GIVE MANY INMATES
TO INSANE ASYLUM
Neurasthenia, Leading to
Loss of Reason, Caused by
Conditions of Life in Win
dowless Rooms, Says Pro-
fessor.

Neurasthenia, nervous malady which
frequently develops into insanity, pro-
fessors on mental diseases today declared
Is often caused by had housing conditions.
Many women and men now awaiting
observation in the psychopathic ward OF
the Philadelphia Hospital for the Insane,
according to a professor attached to the
Jefferson Hospital, are products OF the
c6ngested tenement quarter
In many instances persons suffering
from insanity first displayed their mental
ailments while living in filthy rooms
which sociologists. ministers, physicians
manufacturers and judges refer to as
tenement caves" or "living vaults"
Social service workers attached 10 the
Philadelphia Hospital for the Insane
stated today that many patients in that
institution first become victims of
neurasthenia while sleeping and eating
In windowless rooms.
IL Is in the windowless room where
there Is no air or light, that depression
sets in. Nervousness follows Then
comes neurasthenla, A noted professor
ot mental diseases explained often the
next chapter finds the patient awaiting
observation in some insane asylum
Living conditions" continued the pro-
tessor, who for years has been looked
upon as an authority on mental diseases
frequently is responsible for insanity.
The home Is an important factor in
lie. To place a woman. man or child in
mouse which is filthy, unheated, with no
windows or sunshine, and with evil sur
foundings. Usually will not set the indI-
Vidual In happy frame OF mind. In
-
t'ons, the person will become nervous. II
no attention is given to the malady neu-
rasthenia sets in. Further ignoring of
this ailment results in a form Of insanity.
Il have discussed this problem with
many of the social workers who do splen-
did work at the Philadelphia Hospital for
the Insane. These workers visit the
homes of the afflicted after they are
brought to the hospital for observation.
The investigators have come to me
and described what they saw in the pa
uents home. The usual picture was of a
little room with little window or no
window ut all. An alley barely wide
enough for two persons to stand. No
stove or bathtub. Kerosene lights burn
ing all day and other evidences Of tene-
nent house evils.
II personally have observed hundreds of
cases of patients with various forms of
insanity who lived for years in the cellar
rooms which have been described"
The health records show that 565 deaths
occurred in this city last week. OF the
b6j persons who died, the records show
that 1O6 persons died of tuberculosis The
victims lived in various parts of the city
as we'll as in the tenement section.
Common Councilman John z. Connolly,
who is chairman of the Finance Commit
tee of Councils. and who is opposed to the
new Division of Housing and Sanitation,
uNu tod Nknk H.. Al
that any deaths from consumption oc-
Cured as direct result of present living
conditions. q
With the present agitation going on for
better housing conditions for the poor
of Philadelphia, many persons today re-
called the writings of Jacob A. Riis, who
exposed the tenement house evil In "Mul-
berry Bend" I'm New York city. Shortly
before Mr., Riss died he wrote a history
of the tenements, which he entitled War
Has Just Begun"
Discussing the conditions in Phlladel-
phla and visit tn the congested sec
tions here, Mr.. Riis wrote:
'"rhe Philadelphian took them straight |
to the old quarters where nasty alleys
abound,p and showed them tumbledown
tenements, malodorous cesspools, un-
drained yards and passageways. cellars |
full of water, and when they stood aghast |
he told them there were thirty or forty |
lnOusanu vaults ana ceSspOOls IN the |
city, whereas on Manhattan Island there |
is scarce one left"
The Philadelphia Housing Commission, |
of which Bernard j. Newman is secre- |
tary, today made the statement that |
about 5000 Philadelphians die OF tuber-
culosis OF the lungs because the disease |
is permitted TO spread. Often this dis
sease is developed in the cellar rooms
and the diving vaults"
Many members OF the joint Committee
on Finance have already come out in /
strong words as being against the new
Division OF Housing and Sanitation. This
act was passed by the Legislature more /
than a year ago and was signed by Gov
ernor Tener. Every effort to get Councils
10 grant the necessary appropriations has
failed.
One of the Councilmen who are opposed |
10 the granting of the appropriations is
Select Councilman Charles Seger, of the |
Tth Ward. He is chairman of the Sub
of Finance. In his ward there |
are hundreds of cellar rooms" Recently |
a negro child died In Seger's ward. The |
attending physician declared that the /
child died Of erasmus directly brought on /
by living conditions In the 7th Ward