MARRIAGE & INSANITY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14323, 13 October 1910, Page 3

MARRIAGE & INSANITY.

CURIOUS FACTS TN LUNACY HE'fUKN. A still further increase in lunacy is shown by the report for the year ended January 1. which has just been issued I:.r the British Commissioners hi Lun-ai-y, but the increase is less than the annua! average for the past ten years. Since January 1, Ulilil. the proportion of the insane to tin; population has risen from 1 in 302 to 1 in 277. The increase in the number of certified insane persons was ].7fi(s last year, while the average annual increase lor the last ten vears was 2.394. and that for the last 'live years was 2.1 bj. The increase of insanity is therefore falling, yet the growth of insanity still outpaces the trrowth of the general population. The estimated population this year is 12.2 per cent, above that in 1900. and the number of insane 21*.4 per cent. lUit last year the estimated increase, of population was I.IG petcent.. while the increase of the insane was 1.37 per cent. IN CUE-ASK OF MALE LUNATICS.

In every class of insane, except the criminal., the number of femaies is much higher than that Of males, though, since !Hot). there has been a gradual tendency for the proportion cf males to increase. In 1859 the relative proportions of the sexes were 400.S males to 544.2 females, while last year the proportions were 403.6 males to jj.33.4 femaies.

the tlUlrilJutinn of insanijy among, different occupations forms an interesting taole. The following are some of the figures, which givo the ratio per 10,000 in each occupation named of patients admitted during the years 1907 and 190S, to the numbers engage in it af the time of the census in 1001 :-- Aiitiun-3. journalists, and shorthand wrii»r&, fcHjali* ... ofi.fl Ditto, male ":.. _ 16.3 Civil and mining engineers ... fj'i.o Warehousemen ... ... 47.1 C'osiermongers: female 3!>.S l-jiuu. lu.Vlo .., ~. 26.« Charwomen ~1 .'.. 31.fi "i'aii'iei'ri, engravers, sculptors... 27.3 Dome-tie indoor .servants in hot-els and lodging houses: female ... 9o.'} Ditto, male ... ... ... 17. S3 Architects . ... ... 19.fi Cifrgym-u (Y.- iablidied Ohm-chl 13.1 C in derahiy mcy? sincde n.n-sons at uianiageatiie W"re «<V.vi|~/| to /isilums than nmniVd !.r >.\ lilnw-rd \vr-t-'.,<i<. The tWili-rat.- among iho in., fan" '■• ~i* t'mgs a,s high as fche genera! dc-ath-rato.