The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-04-28
People of Central Europe Afflict-
ed With All Kinds of Nerv-
GUS Diseases.
JUVENILE CRIME IS RAMPANT
General Decentralization Caused by
Physical Weakness, Combined
With Overweight Nerves
Religion Seems to Have
Lost All influence.
BY JULIAN GRANDE.
On the New York Times.)


On the New York Times.)
Berne.-During the war have been
several times in England, France and
Italy, but since the armistice / have
been obliged to remain here, in the
heart of Europe. Consequently | can
not say how the war seems to have az
fected the people. either In my own
country or in those of our allies or In
the United States. If. however | were
asked how it has affected people on
the continent generally, ! should say
that it has made them more nervous,
and some of them even nervous
wrecks.
Perhaps nowhere was this more no
ticeable than at the meetings Of the In
ternational Socialist Labor congress;
attended by delegates from q coun-
tries. have spoken to delegates from
most Of these lands, and there was not
a single one who did not show signs of
extreme nervousness. Either he was
constantly clasping and unclasping his
fingers, or he was fidgeting in his
chair, or constantly blinking his eyes.
Moreover, if / asked one or other to
jot down something for me on paper,
noticed that his hand positively trem-
bled as he wrote; and when delegate
addressed the congress he usually ex-
hibited still more marked signs OF
overstrained nerves. Several delegates
to whom / spoke volunteered the in
formation that they slept very badly at
night and this testimony was quite
independent, for not one knew what
the others had been saying to me. To
some | suggested that perhaps they
were doing too much mental work.
NO." was the reply, ''even the laboring
classes in our country are not sleeping
well just now
Sobbing Sickness.
In Austria, for instance the people
are suffering from what may be called
a sobbing sickness, which is the result
primarily of nervousness. Both men
and women suddenly begin to sob, and
very often continue sobbing even in
their sleep. Some doctors seem to
think this malady is due to unwhole-
oOihC 1OoO, WliII CAUSES StOibdtI Via
ton; others attribute it to nervous
ness alone. In some cases this nerv-
BUSINESS has become so acute that peo-
pie have attacks in the night not I'M
like an epileptic fit. The sufferer be-
gins by feeling choking sensation,
then cries out, and finally becomes
quite unconscious, very often remain
ing so for 20 minutes or even half an
hour after which he falls into a deep
sleep. Afterward he remembers moth
ing whatever about what has happened
to him. The result of this sobbing
sickness and these attacks Is, of
course. still further to weaken a peo-
pie already very greatly enfeebled
Another effect of the prevailing
nervousness is naturally to make peO
pie far more irritable than usual and
the physical weakness combined with
the overweight state of their nerves
also makes them disinclined for effort
or exertiOn. Religion, it is significant,
seems to have lost all influence over
them. Not only have adults become
careless and Indifferent with regard to
morality, as is proved by the grave in
creases of certain diseases, with which
the medical authorities no longer know
how to cope, but the condition of the
children in the cities and towns, par
ticularly of Austria. is distressing be- !
yond words. For example, the number
of Offenses against the law committed |
by children and young persons under
eighteen in Vienna alone was, in 1913. |
1885, but in 1917, 14.029-a nearly IS |
per cent increase. And now it is scarce |
ly possible to keep count of the mum
Der of thefts and other misdemeanors
of which even young children are
guilty
Again. the children often cannot be
made to attend school. and the youths
cannot be induced to do any work The |
children play truant for days and |
weeks together. and the youths leave
their work for any trivial reason or
none.
Children and young people are con-
stantly guarreling until they come to
blows; they have no respect for their
ttdtHtiS. par vi tiOtiS tltt IUSuIt
and abuse older persons and even spit |
AT them sometimes and threaten them /
with violence. Thieving, however, is
the commonest offense.
Few Children Survive.
In Poland nervousness and nervous
prostration have become so appalling
that very few mothers give birth to
children capable of surviving. Thus.
1T the maternity hospital of Lemberg
in two months only one infant sur
vived out of 81 born and people are
Tally perishing from hunger. This in
feresting old city with its cathedrals
md universities has now become for
urn and desolate. and what is true OF
i is true of the rest of Poland and
Austria.
TO add to the scourges of nervous
TESS and Sobbing sickness. infantle
icnrvy caused by bad milk. is greatly
~ ty,,.