The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-04-14
PROBLEM
NEARING
SOLUTION

Revolutionary Strides Are
Being Made by New
Jersey Physician
By EDWARD NJ. THIERRY
Trenton. n. j.. April iA-Revciu
tionAry strides IN solving the prob
iem Of the insane have been taken
by Or. Henry A. Cotton. medical d.
pital. Insanity loses many Of It's
tsrrors In these things. Or. Cotton
nas done:
Proved that two out cf cv~y
three 'mcurablo" cases arc cur
Hhlc.
Showed that physical discr>
dcrx. such ~ infected tecth and
tonsils and Infections Of stosn-
seh and intertines. cause moro
insanity than hercdity.
Demonstrated that proper caro-
OF tho health VIII prevent insxn-
Ny.
Turned IN ssyium into clinic
. jail into . hospital.
Discarded all straight jsess-ts
and other forms Of mechanical
restraint.
Rescued 1000 patients. two
thirds Of whom wouid be called
-incurahly insane" In the Last
thrre years.
Reduced New Jerseys insane
\ population, saving $4,000 this
year.
Curative and preventive measures
must be begun early. says Dr. Cot
ton. who has given 20 the world the
remarkable results Of tho work done
~ Trenton State hospital IN his book.
The Defective Delinquen, and In
oAne."
EARLY TREATMENT
Is ESSENTIAL
Treatment In the first few months
or within the first year II necessary.
After three or four years tho case
n hopeless.
unfortunately fer the many
chronic patients confined IN hos
plsal. for the insane today" he says.
their disease has progressed TO the
stage where remedial thernpy Is en-
tircfy unsuccessful There are AZ
Trenton 300 cases OF dernenttR prae
COZ. none Of whom wifi ever recover.
-over 50 per cent Of tbs permanent,
residents IA stat. hospitals belong "a
the tementIa praecox group. Prac-
ticaiiy all Of these cases could not
only have been prevented but their
symptoms arrested after the onset. n
the methods Of eliminating chronic
infection had been applied early In
the course Of the disease.
There can be 20 excuse for fail
urs 70 treat such cases IN 'eariy
stages now that the cause In known.
RELIC or
SUPERSTITION
The do-nothing policy Of those
who continue 10 oppos. any form Of
treatment. because they are con-
WINGED that insanity IL hereditary and
fhereeors inevitable and incurabis. Is
= relic OF medical superstition and
barbarfsrn"
insanity IL increassnx IN America
four times as fast as population. DIT.
Cotton shows by statistics A guar.
ter OF a million persons are IN insane
ssyiuns. not counting those in aims
houses. prisons and r.sorrnatory.
New York and Massachusetts, have
the most insane IN proportion 20 POP
uia'ion. and Arkansas. Alabama.
Oklahoma and New Mexico the few
ct.
Surgical operations 20 correct phys
teal defects have reclaimed many ~
New Jerseys insane. A. against 81
per cent discharged prior 10 1914.
~ per cent were cured IN 1918. IS
per cent IN 1870 and 70 per cent IN
1921. Elsewhere In the United
states. says Or. Cotton. not over rs
per cent Of insane patients are sui.
ficientiy improved TO be discharged
permanently.
Hereditary insanity exists IN only
Q littis more than one-haf Of the
patients classed as incurabie.- says
DR.. Cotton. Infection Is the cause
oftener than Insanity IN the family
NEVER HAVE FAILED
10 FIND INFECTION
causes az love affairs. dissppoint-
nent in love. domestic difficulties.
conjugai dfshsrmony and financial
reverses are considered to be the only
cause. In these cares We have never
failed 20 find serious and often ex.
tensive infection.
Following the removal Of this In.
lection. II the disease has not been
Of too long duration. the mental dis
turbance IL very apt 70 adjust Itself.
when proper treatment Of the In.
sane becomes generally effective
turnout IN. country many patients
now doomed to lifelong confinement
In hospitals for the insane and to a
mental darkness 10 which death Is
far preferable, can and will be re-
stored not only TO mental hearth. but
In many cases TO q life Of useful
ness"
In terms Of dollars DR.. Cotton's
revolutionary methods OF retaining
the insane has saved SO, 900 900 In
the 1000 cases permanently cured
during the past three years. Stats
tics show that IL costs $4,000 for
every INDECENT case committed for
Hfe-and that two.thirds Of all com.
noiimsnts are for life.
DIR. Cotton's method 10 a complete
d'agnostic survey Of every patient.
He urges modern hospital equipment
IN all state insane institutions. in
GLIDING the x-rsy and laboratory
and dental clinics and surgical faciil-
ties 80 that all methods Of modern