The Haslingden Gazette. — 1913-07-19 (Haslingden, Lancashire, England)

INSANITY NO GROUND FOR DIVORCE."  Lunacy is continually increasing in England and Wales, according to the Commissioners in Lunacy for 1912, issued on Saturday. The increase of cases during the last five years has been as follows:1912 1911 1910 1909 2,703  1906  On January Ist, 1859, when lunacy statistics commenced, there were 36,762 insane persons under care in England and Wales, and on January Ist this year the number notified amounted to 138,377, an increase on the figures of 1859 of 276.4 per cent; During the same period the estimated population increased by 87.5 per cent. The increase for the year 1912 was 275 above that of the annual average of the decennium and 257 above that for the quinquennial period. In the county of London an increase of 472 in 1911 was followed by one of 488 in 1912, and excluding these figures, whereas in 1911 there were 37 administrative counties with a total increase of the pauper insane of 983, in 1912 there were 46, with an increase of 1,306, and while in 1911 there were 22 with a decrease amounting to .838, in 1912 there were only 10 in which there was such decreases, totalling 189.  Anglesey, Merioneth, Carnarvon, and Westmorland are quoted as counties with a real increase in the 'prevalence of insanity. Perhaps/ however, the most striking instance of all is afforded by London, where the population between 1901 and 1911 slightly decreased, while the pauper insane increased by 25 per cent. The report states that foremost among the circumstances in the life history of one who becomes insane is that of an inherited tendency to mental and nervous instability. A table covering between 12,000 and 13,000 cases admitted during 1907-11 for their first attack of insanity assigns "insane heredity" as a cause in 22.7 per cent. of the males and 28.4 per cent. of the females. Sudden mental stress is a far frequent antecedent of insanity than prolonged stress (about 22 per cent). The Commissioners mention the singular fact that in certain counties notorious for their high proportion of crimes due to drunkenness the insanity rate was comparatively low, although the proportion of cases in which 'alcoholic excess was noted wits higher than in other counties. Nevertheless, it is beyond dispute that alcoholic excess does contribute to mental derangement. -  The Commissioners emphasise the need for research, systematic, prolonged and thorough, saying there are many lacunas in knowledge to be filled before full answers can be supplied to the questions, as to what is the nature of insanity, why it occurs. and how its amount can be lessened. So far as remedial treatment is concerned, the recovery rates recorded year by year do not encourage much hope for further advances in this direction; although it is not perhaps sufficiently known that no small proportion of the insane admitted to care do recover within a comparatively short period. A satisfactory report is given of the county and borough asylums, which during the year discharged 6,610 as "recovered.!' The total expenditure on upkeep during the year ended March 31st, 1912, was £3,268,462, and the average weekly cost of maintaining the patients was 10s. 34d. Twentyono suicides of patients occurred during the year. The Commissioners urge the desirability of State grants in aid of research in mental diseases. The Commissioners as a Board, are against the inclusion of insanity among the ' grounds for divorce.