A MAD WORLD.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13877, 31 October 1910, Page 6

A MAD WORLD.

Of all tho fates that rould befall a nation, or mankind, surely tho worst would be the insanity of a majority of the inhabitants. Yet such a- fate is actually prophesied by Dr. Forbes AViuslow, the celebrated alienist, who is mentioned in our cables this morning as having drawn tho attention of the Divorce Commission to tho enormous increase in insanity at Homo in tho last fifty years. In his recentlypublished reminiscences Dr. Winslow declares that by a simnlo calculation tho exact year can be foretold when there will bo more insane people in the world than wane. "Wβ aro gradually ap- " proaching, with tho decadence of "youth, a near proximity to a nation "of madmen. ... A terrible but " real ourso is in store, and an insane •'' world is looked forward to by mo " with a certainty in the not for distant " future." In 1860 there was one registered insane person in every 418 of tho population of England and Wales, and in 1909 tho proportion was one in every 278. On theso simple statistics Dr. Winslow bases his terrible theory of a mad world. Tho facts, he says, cannot in any way bo challenged. Tho race has degenerated ; " the youths of tho present "' ago are much moro insipid than " formerly, less manly, and insufficiently "developed." We have, unfortunately, only a brief summary of Dr. Winslow's statements, and we must assume that it does justice to them. Assuming this, it is worthy of notice that no allowance is made for tho fact that tho proportion of insane persona in mental hospitals to tho total number of insane must bq greater to-day than it was in the middle of last century. One eees somethins similar in regard to appendicitis, the great increase in the number of cases being more apparent than real, because in tho old days tho complaint went under another namo. Against this it is argued that insanity .statistics for vho past twenty or thirty years .show a disquieting increase, and that to far as this period is concerned one cannot us , ") ihe comforting reflection just mentioned, the public having long ago grown accustomed to sending afflicted persons to asylums. •, T/his, however, is a matter of opinion, and not of fact. Dr. Winslow, in his own words has "breithsd the atmosphere ''of lunacy for a period extending '•over sixty years, '> and v/ith all possiblo respect to him, it may be suggested that his painful environment has affected his judgment. It may bo uiontioned that tho latest figures for Scotland are such that the Commissioners believe there will bo no increase in tho insanity rate in tho future. Tho effect of better methods of treatment, both in tho early and later stages of ii sanity, and improved social conditions have also to bo considered. There is also tho remedy of legislation. If insanity increases, as Dr. Winslow is sure it will, society vrill be compelledj long before tb.2 insin-j outnumber tho sane, to udopfc rirastic measures to safeguard the mental health of the community, particularly in tho direction of forbidding tho marriage of defcctiv3s and degenerates.