Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1912 — Insanity on the Increase [ARTICLE]

Insanity on the Increase

Population of County Has Enlarged 11 Per Cent, and Cases of Insanity is 25 Per Cent. Washington.—lnsanity in the United States is increasing twice as fast as the population, according to figures gathered by the federal government in a special inquiry through the census bureau. *■ The figures show that while the population of the country grew 11 per cent, in the five years from 1904 to 1928, the population in asylutns for the insane rose about 25 per cent. As to the number of cases of Insanity not resulting in commitments to hospitals, the census bureau has no data. “Our figures,” says Dlrecfor Durand, “afford a striking indication of the prevalence of insanity, if not an exact measure. It is somewhat startling to reflect that the 187,454 patients confined in hospitals for the insane make up a population larger than Columbus, O.” The state which; in proportion to its population, had the largest number of Insane reported in institutions on January 1, 1910. was Massachusetts with '344.6 per 100,000 population. New York, however, had almost the same proportion, namely 343.1 per 100,000 population. ’ e ' , The number of insane in institutions in Missouri is 6,170. More than 8,500 persons were committe<rto asylums in New York state last year, 4,517 in Pennsylvania, 4,236 in Massachusetts, 4,085 in Illinois and 3,887 in Ohio. > 0 Arkansas had fewer insane commit-

ted last year than any state in proportion, 16 per 100,000, according to Mr. Durand’s figures. New Mexico comes next with 25.7 per 100,000, and Utah with 27.6 per 100,000, is third. After then, in order, come Wyoming, Ixiulsiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama.