MODERN CAUSES OF INSANITY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 17, 15 August 1884, Page 31

MODERN CAUSES OF INSANITY.

In the current number of the Sanitarian,. Professor Hitchcock has an interesting paper on " A Perverted Will as a Factor in Insanity." He is of opinion that the marked increase of insanity of late years is largely, if not altogether, due to the rapid progress of democratic ideas, the development of strong individualism, and tbe weakening of respect for authority. It is not to be inferred that he considers democratic ideas mischievous, but he holds it to be often dangerous to put new wine into old bottles. The general effect ef modern influences he regards as tending to destroy self-control, whether in the pursuit of •wealth or the gratification of appetite. Luxury offers constant temptations to the present generation, and where there is no training to furnish a basis of self-restraint, excess in many directions is to be apprehended. Again, self-control is weakened, especially in oar American public, by a disregard or disegteem of law and authority. The democratic idea, the intense individualism that permeates the body politic as does our blood the body, is a demoralise^ to a sound mental condition. The disrespect for civil law, as manifested by many who only seem to see in it red tape and needless formality, is a good seed of insanity. Professor Hitchcock might; have gone further back in tracing the developments of the insane neurosis. It is highly probable that those parents .who, through mistaken notions of education, permit their children to grow up ignorant of self-surrender, discipline, and restraint, are encouraging in them the tendencies to excess which in later life may issue in insanity. It is indeed a patent fact that the power of self-control is less cultivated than formerly. Oar forefathers held many hard and barbarous beliefs, but there was one belief of theirs which we should have done well to retain, namely, the conviction that serious and prolonged discipline is necessary to the building up of a sound and self-sustaining manhood. In these days the last lesson imparted is that of obedience, yet it is certain that they who cannot obey will never know how to rule, and without self-control the finest natural abilities may be worse than wasted. The diseases of to-day are largely the products of profuse expenditure of vitality. Extravagance in physical outlay is one of the most serious vices of the time. Nervous and cerebral exhaustion followa these courses, and at short intervals our most active and energetic men drop out of the race, and are coniigned to the asylum or the grave. When the tendency to insanity is tbe effect of new ideas upon sluggish mentalities, which are confused rather than enlightened by the impact, it is probable that nothing can be done. In such cases nature's law of the survival of the fittest must operate, and such as are incapable of improvement must perish. But with regard to the stronger natures that go to excess because of defective training and the force of external stimulants, it is not useless to speak words of warning. Nature will be avenged for violation of her laws, and those who exhaust their limited stock of vitality in youth and middle age will be denied the restful old age to which they vainly look forward. They will die in harness. They will drop even before they have reached Mount Pisgah. The parents who think it philosophical to withhold all discipline and training in self-control from their children, will do well to reflect that, far from fitting them for an ampler manhood and womanhood by these means, they are preparing them for disaster, misfortune, and failure, depriving them of the most iodispensable defence and protection against the distracting influences of our fast aud feverish modern life. — N.Y. Tribune.