The Lakeland evening telegram., 1920-10-08
OF
INSANITY BEING
TAKEN UP NOW
tFrom the Public Department State
Board of Healthy

oVaAu vi IltdltH.J
The prevention of insanity as an
economical measure is being taken
up and discussed all over the coun.
fty and in an impressive statement
regarding the advisability of such
measures, Doctor Daniel G. Camp
bell Of the State Board of Health.
points out whereby the legislative
provision of certain amount OF
money for scientific research would
be a wise and useful expenditure.
DR.. Campbell has had wide ex-
rerience in this particular line of
work and is well versed in such mat
ters. He makes the following state
ment:
Every big business concern has
an overhead expense. States and mu-
inequalities have overhead expenses
In the maintenance and personnel of
the state officials. State institutions
are necessary and the maintenance OF
same costs great deal of money ;.
Usually the money is applied in a way
which shows tangible and economical
and satisfactory results.
In the United States at large 1t is
estimated that there are more insane
people in the different insane asyl-
ums in the country than there are
students in all of the colleges and
universities of the country. 1t is fur
ther estimated that there are more
insane dependent on charity and on
bounty of the different state institu-
tions than there were officers and en-
listed men in the United States army
III its pre-war strength. It has also
been accurately estimated that the
cost of maintaining the insane
throughout the United States is suf-
flcient to build annually six Panama
canals complete in every detail and
pay for same.
Florida like all other states has it's
insane population to deal with. In
the modern light Of scientific advance.
insanity is no longer regarded as a
disgrace but is classed as a disease
which in great meaure Is a prevent
able disease. We have come to look
upon the insane as sick people, and
with characteristic American senti-
ment have given them every charity
that a noble and enlightened public
Can bestow, and have summoned to
their aid all the instruments that
medical science can summon
Florida has an average insane
population of fifteen hundred people
who are confined in the state lospi.
| tai for insane at Chattahoochee, a
very large majority of whom are de-
pendent entirely for support, for med
ical attention and for general care
,and treatment, upon the resources A.
nancially, of the state hospital.
There seems to be indications to
the effect that the wide spread manu-
facure of homemade whiskey which
contains a dangerous percentage OF
deadly fusel oil is causing an increase
Of cases of alcoholic insanity. Syphil-
is is regarded as one of the most fire.
qIent causes of insanity.
The three conditions enumerated
are entirely preventable.
AS business proposition, the state
is confronted with the annual expen-
t:ture of many thousands Of dollars
for the care of those who are insane,
There appears to be no well organized
effort or propram to spend money in
scientific research for the purpose of
investigating the causes and prevent
ing at least a certain number of cases
pof insanity occurring in the state.
The National Committee for Men
tai Hygiene and other agencies who
are interested in the insanity prob
lem as a nation wide study are ad-
vocating that the legislature appro-
pirate ten cents for each dollar that Is
spent for treating insane people for
the purpose of establishing system
of scientific research and field inves-
tigations with view to reducing the
amount of insanity among the peo.