SCOTLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13586, 7 May 1906, Page 10

SCOTLAND.

CAUSES OF INSANITY,

(Fjsou Ou* Owx Correspondent.)

EDINBURGH, March 8. Tiie annual meeting of the Royal Edinburgh Corporation for to Insane was held last week, when it was reported that tho average daily number of patients, in the asylum during the year had been- 870. The report of Dr Thomas S. Clouston, tho physician-superintendent, as usual, contained somo interesting and instructive maite.r. li e said that during the year they hail had 61 adniifsions for general paralysis -the largest number they had ever had. More sinking still was the fact that 38 of these eases were t'iic«e of women, sdi but ono of whom belonged to the pauper class. l'ortv years ago, if a woman wns admitted suffering from this disease, tho whole medical staff would go to see it, as it was such a rare occurrence. This year the number of female general paralytics admitted exceeded that of the men similarly affliclcd. Tiiis was a bad .sign morally, and was a sidelight, of a very depressing character on our social life. Great cities, vice, dissipation, ami tmriuo excitement wero tho breeders of that disease. In all Ireland only 52 such casv. were sent to the asylums. Dr Clouston expressed himself convinced that the causu of general paralysis had been disco rered by Drs Ford Robertson and M'liae, as recently described by the former gentleman in a course of lectures. He slated that tho immediate cause was a microbe, which acled specially on brains that iiad previously been weakened by dissipaiion and poisoning. Of their 312' rate-paid admissions general paralysis claimed 18.5 ijor cent., while of tho 116 private patients only 5 per cent, suffered from that disease. Dr Clouston again sounded a warning as to the intimate connection of alcoholism with insanity. This year, .he added, tho melancholy phase of mental disease greatly prevailed as compared will; Ihe elevated. ThV, revorse of that was their experience 20 years ago. He had always held that the great epidemic of influenza in 18E9-80, and tho subsequent la lor epidemics, not only caused many deaths, but left much lowering of nervous tone, as well as lessoned power of defence against many otiicr diseases as its evil legacy; and that, in consequence, tho melancholy phase of insanity throughout tho country had been much more common than before. Dr Clouston also mentioned that the proportion of deaths from consumption in Scottisli asylums was 16.4, while in England it was 17.5 per cent., and in Ireland 32 per eecit. It was an unique fact in the history of mental hospitals that in tho 11 years during which Craig House (a separate budding for tho higher class of patients at Morningsido Asylum) had been open not a single case of consumption had occurred within it. HIGH TRICES FOR SHORTHORN BULIiS. an auction sale of pedigreo shorthorn bulls, held at Perth on February 21. some very high prices were obtained. The top price wis 1500 guineas for a first-prize buil from Beaufort Castle, belonging to Lord Lovat. This splendid animal was secured Tor Argentina,, from which country the.ro vera a good many buyers present. Two other bulls fetched 700 guineas each, five ranged between 410' and 560 guineas, 10 brought from 2.00 to 340 guineas, and 30 were sold at prices between 100 and 200 guineas. The errant of the lot was taken 'by the Argentine buyers, (hough there were buyers present from all parts of the J'niled Kingdom. From ilio detailed list /. observe that all file Argentine buyers have Scottish names: while it seems to contain no mention of any of the animals having lieen bought for either Australia or New Zealand. Two "hundred and fifty-one bulls in all wcro sold. OBITUARY RECORD. Tho Right- Rev. Dr .T. R. A. ChinneryHaldane, Bishop of Argvln and the Isle.s, died at Onicli, near Ballaeliulish, on February 15, after a long illness. He. graduated at Cambridge in 1864, and in the same year married the daughter of Sir Nicholas Chinnery, of Flintville, Co. Cork, whoso surname he prefixed to his own. After eicrlit years as a curat® at All Saints', Edinburgh, he became incumbont of St. Brido, Ncther-Lcchabor. In 1879 he was made honorary canon of Argylc and the Isles: in 1881 he was made dean; and in 1883 he was consecrated bishop of the diooc.se. A volume of his charges and two little bocis for the use of communicants comprise all his published works. Ho leaves two sons, but liis only daughter predeocased him. _ The Bishop confined himself to ecclesiastical duties, and did not figure in politics.

Mr James Annaiid, who was returned at the general election lis M.P. for East Aberdeen, did not live to take his scat in the House, as lie died suddenly of angina pectoris in London on February 15. 110 was born ai Kinmundy in 1845, and lregan life as a blacksmith, then was a teacher for a year, and finally became a journalist. Most of his experience was in London and 011 Tyiicsido, though latterly lie had been proprietor and editor of the Ripon Observer. He unsuccessfully contested Tynemoulh in IBS?, and the St. Andrew's Burghs in 1900: and his death, iust when his ambition had ai length been gratified, is much ■regretted in his constituency and elsewhere.

A workman poet lias pawed away in the person of Mr William Wilson, engine-smith, of the Castle Mills, Edinburgh, who died on February 18, at the age of 75. After M years in the service of tho London and North-Western and London, Brighton, and South Coast railways, lie returned to Edinburgh, and liecamc connected with the Oastlo Mills in 1863. Thereafter ho became 'prominent in connection with leading organisations of working men, and took a useful. part in the carrying out of a number of important reforms. He published a large number of poetical, pieces in the Scotsman over a. period of many years, and a number of these were collected and published in a volume entitled "Echoes of the Anvil," which were very favourably received by the public. Mr Wilson is survived by a widow and grown-up family. Mr J. E. Tuit, a bridge engineer of much promise, and a director of Arrol and Co. (Ltd.), has died at the premature age of 46. His talents were discovered by Sir William Arrol (hiring the building of the Forth bridge. His greatest work was the bridge, nearly two miles long, over the Nile at Cairo, now approaching completion. The design for this bridge was thrown open «o international competition, but Mr l'uit's design was prciorred. Hard work and exposure brought on dysentery, followed by complications, to which he succumbed. Alexander Kennedy, a Glasgow policeman, who had lately retired, was ascending tho stair to enter the chief constable's office, when he fell forward and expired front heart disease. He weighed over 28 stone, and was well known as a member of the tug-of-war team of the Glasgow police. Mr David Johnstone Walker, only member of Hel| and Bradfute, Edinburgh, the oldest publishing firm now in existence iu Scotland, having been established in 1731, has died at a ripe age. He took a special interest in publie libraries in New Zealand, for which he supplied many books. The deaths are also announced of the Rev. P. M'Donald, minister of Holyrood U.F. Church, Edinburgh; Rev. W. 11. Addicolt, Congregational minister, Grecnock; and Mr Malcolm MaeDonald, chief constable of the Cgunty of Sutherland. GENERAL NEWS. The Presbyter} - of Dunbar lias just heard charges of drunkenness laid against tho Rev. Robert Gray, parish minister of Innerwick. The majority of tho counts were found to be proved, and a sentence of deposition from the ministry was passed upon Mr Gray, who thereupon appealed to the Synod. At Annan Miss Fanny Yeoman fell into an open cellar at the Town Hall and broke one of her legs. After a fortnight's suffering she died from her injuries. It is publicly stated that Leith Parish Council has had to maintain an inmate hi Mcrnington Asylum, Edinburgh, for no lees than 58 years.

A Now York company has just erected an experimental wireless telegraphy station at Maehnihanish Bay, 011 the western coast of Kintyre. Charles Jarrott, a well-known motor car maker in London, at considerable risk to his own neck and thoso of his live companions, rode a motor car along (lie Radical road on the face of Salisbury Crags. Edinburgh. This being an illegal act, he was brought tip at tho Burgh Court and fined three guineas. It has been decided to erect a new building for the Royal Aberdeen Ilosoital

for Sick Children 011 a first-class scalp.

At tlin Clydo Ironworks, Tollcross, Glasgow, a boiler containing 200 tons of boiling pitch burst the other night. Tho pitch caught firo and flowed in all directions in blazing streams. Some railway waggons in an adjoining bye were consumed and other damago done before the firo was mastered.

Treasurer Brown, Edinburgh, stated the other day that tho city gardener had in hand a scliemc for a common meetin" ground for tho citizens, wliero they might liuve music and tea gardens and winter gardens. Tho cost of tho scheme would probably involve £50,000 or £75,000.

A runaway horse attached to a juteladen lorn- dashed through the window of a brancli>of tlm Bank of Scot-land at tho cornci of Arbroath road and Albert street Dundee. Tho animal landed on tho counter, narrowly missing tho teller, whoso money was scattered over tho iloor, while some of it rolled into the street. The horso was unyoked and led out at tho door.

A firo broke out in the japanning depart, mcnt of Singer's great, "sewing machine works at Kilbowie, near Glasgow, on March 1, and £10,000 worth of damago was done beforo it. was got under. These works employ S6OO Lands.

'Hie North British Railway is about to seek powers to extend largely tho dock at Methi!, Fife, which is in a chronic state of congestion. Tho coal industry in Fife is increasing enormously, and great- developments are about to take place, under the Bert as well as on the land. Tho cost of the new dock, with its necessary railway lines, is estimated at £500,000. The dock will admit steamers of 6000 tons at all states of the tide.

Colonel M'Hardy, chairman of the Scottish Prison Commissionere, stated this week at a -meeting in Glasgow that 13,000 new criminals entered tho prisons of Scotland every year. Of these one-half came from tho Glasgow district. Tho number of women prisonors, however, had been going down all over, the country since 1901. The following personal estates of deceased individuals have been recorded Lord Invwelyde, £295,456; Mr Robert Miln, of AVoodhill, Forfar, £59.185; Mrs Cox, Drumsheugh place, Edinburgh, £57,045; Captain J. A. Forbes. R.N., Berwiek-on-Twccd, £40.194; Mr Wm. Barr, coalmaster Larkhall, Lanarkshire, £22,792. '

A): a spccial meeting of tile shareholders of the Highland Railway Co., held at Inverness yestorday, it- was intimated by tho chairman, Mr Wm,. Whitelaw, that as proxies amounting to £700,000 had been received in oimo-ition to the proposed amalgamation of the company with the Great North of Scotland Railway Co., while many shareholders had abstained from voting, (he directors had resolved not to proceed further with the amalgamation scheme. This sudden turn in affairs has awakened surprise, and while tho decision is welcomed at Inverness, it is regretted at Aberdeen.