Goldsboro weekly argus., 1915-04-15
FLAYS DRINK As 4 PRO-
DUCER OF INSANITY
HYGIENE CONFERENCE CLOSES
WITH INTERESTING DENUN-
CIATION OF ALCOHOL.
DIR. G.. H. Kirby Declares Intemper-
ance Enthusiastically Cause OF
Large Number Of Mental
Disorders

Alcohol and intemperance were
branded unmistakable causes or IN
sanity last night at the closing or
successful mental hygiene conference
i'm the auditorium of the Education
building before large audience by
DR.. G. H. Kirby, director of the clin1-
cal psychiarty, Manhattan State hos
pital, Wards Island.
"It was only a comparatively short
time ago when even physicians looked
upon most cases of insanity as the re-
suit Of unknown br unmanageable |
causes, which mysteriously and often
Unexpectedly attacked this or that !
person" said DR.. Kirby. Among the
general public this view is still very |
widely held, and it is by no means
clearly recognized that the term in
sanity includes variety of totally |
different diseases, the causes of sew
eral of which are now definitely
known.
"The program for education and for
prevention which the State Charities
Aid association is so energetically pro-
noting has been made possible through
important recent additions to our
knowledge concerning the nature and
causes of mental diseases. Physicians
working on these problems of control
and prevention Of mental abnormality
are more and more encouraged to be-
neve that the brilliant results already
achieved by preventive medicine in so
many fields may be eventually dupli-
Gated In our fight against insanity and
mental effectiveness.
"In planning our campaign for pre-
vention it is encouraging to learn at
the start that two causes account for
at least one-quarter of all cases Of IN
sanity and that these causes are avoid
able, or, at any rate, are clearly with
In the bounds OF human control. One
of these two causes of insanity is in
temperance, which we recognize as
very ancient and resistent enemy to
mans health and happiness. It is it
self a social evil whose ultimate erad-
tcation will require the solution of
problems of tremendous difficulty. Dis
cussion of these problems is, however.
not within the scope of my subject
this evening. My allotted task is to
present to you as briefly as possible
the known facts regarding the actual
role played by alcohol in the causation
of mental disease.
"The action of alcohol on the body
and particularly on the nervous sys-
tenn and the mind has been the sub
5ect Of much careful study and exper-
1mental work. Everyday observation
tells US that alcohol has powerful in
stance, in ordinary drunkenness, which
from the strict medical point of view
is really a transient mental disorder
"The widespread belief that drink
braces one up and makes one work
better and faster is erroneous. Under
the influence Of alcohol certain feel.
ing Of exhilaration often gives a per
son false impression that his MIND
is working faster and better and gen
orally he is more talkative than usual
this exhilaratfon merely deceives thu
person because, as a matter of fact
his thinking Is lower order, his judg
ment is less reliable, and the restrain
ing influence of the higher menta
faculties is removed. Experimenta1ly
it can be demonstrated that instead o
any stimulating action on the mind
alcohol, even in small quantities, ha
from the beginning a paralyzing effec
On the mental functions. The powe
of concentration is impaired, the pow
er Of attention is lessened, ordinar
memorizing is retarded, and the nor
NAL association of idea is interfere
with.
"De1irium tremens, sometimes Gale
the horrors or 'the trembles,' is on
of the most common forms of alcohol
insanity, although many Of these case
are never sent to an inasne hospita
Recovery usually takes place in fe-
days or weeks, but in some cases, es
pecia11y if a second or third attac
of delirium occurs, permanent insaI
ity may result.
"In another form Of alcoholic IL
sanity de1usion of persecution and v;
rious imaginations occur; the suffert
believes that he is talked about an
imagines that his life Is threatened
great fear and agitation may resul
and in some cases suicidal attemp
are made. or dangerous assaults con
mitted on persons imagined to be en-
mics.
In another variety, generally a
companied by neuritis and paralys
OF the limbs, the patient is confus'
and the memory lost. Permane
mental deterioration is often the r
suit in these cases.
Alcoholic men are very apt to d
ye1op ideas of unfaithfu1ness again
their wives; these jealous delusiol
may lead not only to disruption
families hut in some cases to hon
cida1- attacks on an innocent wife
some man imagined to be her gull
partner.
Last year there were admitted,
round numbers, 5000 new patients
the New York State hospitals. One
every ten Of these 5000 was found
be suffering from alcoholic insanit
II we consider the two sexes separat
ly, 1t appears that alcoholic insani
liz much more frequent in men than