Year: 1874

h The public mind is from time to time
a~akened to the alarming increase of the
number Of insane in the charge Of the
State Superintendent at Stockton, but as
is an unhappy condition for which no
preventive can be provided, it soon is
forgotten. Yet one cannot fail of being
impressed with the mum Der of cases which
! are passed upon by the county examining
boards and sent to the Asylum for cura-
tive purposes. There is scarcely week
but two or three are sent from San Fran
cisco alone, sometimes the number reach
ing as high as one each day. In many
instances the disease proves curable and
after being under treatment for a time
proportioned to the strength of the mala-
dy, the patient is discharged. But the
number Of hopeless cases increase from
year to year; the original establishment
at Stockton has been enlarged on several
occasions TO meet the demands of the
crowd of inmates, and the State has now
provided for Branch Asylum at Napa.


Perhaps, instead Of being surprised at
the number Of cases of insanity which we
hear Of from day to day, we should, when
we consider the extent of predisposing
causes, rather express surprise that the
cases are not even yet more numerous.
There are in California thousands OF men
who came here in the flush and hope Of
youth, who have seen the golden days Of
the State pass away, leaving to them
nothing ofits reward, while for the fu-
ture, even hope itself is denied them
Sometimes the fault is their own-some-
times 1t has come from combination of
circums stances they were powerless TO turn
aside. In either case it is the same, the
Iact alone remains, and ii is Of itself sulfi-
cent. That the latter days of life Of
toll and privation unmitigated by the
ple' sures of a home and the society of low
ing friends, and barren OF hope for the
future are calculated to lead the mind to
reflections of gloomy character, all will
admit. They have seen others acquire a
competence and depart for other places
to enjoy it, while they are left to follow
the old routine of daily labor, but without
the cheering vision which frightened the
prospect and lightened their toll in former
years. Dwelling on the altered circum-
stances, the effect upon the mind is de-
pressing, and is a fruitful cause of many
Of the cases of diseased minds which are
furnished from the old mountain counties.


Another cause Of insanity can be found
perhaps in the solitary habits of life into
which men fall in this country. In for
mer years men generally worked, lived,
and had everything in common. A little
cabin would contain three or four inmates
and among all plenty OF subjects for con-
versation were easily found Now it is
the reverse--most of the miners and in
fact those of other occupations who do
not live in the settlements cabin each bv
himself. Go into any outside mining
camp for the proof of this and it will be
found that there are as many or more
houses as there ure claim owners. This
is not natural condition Of society, for
the instincts Of man are gregarious-be is
disposed to court rather than to shun the
society of his fellows. The solitude of a
lonely cabin with no compnnionship but
his own thoughts is not the mode of life
which men should choose, for those
thoughts are not generally of character
10 awaken enivening impressions. To
this last cause we have mentioned, we
think can be attributed much OF the in
sanity which arises. And this belief is
borne out by the fact that the cases OF
men who have been living solitary, Sc
cludcd lives, are Of character more cas-
lily cured when they are brought into the
companionship Of others.