INSANITY AND THE STATE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 942, 8 October 1910, Page 10

INSANITY AND THE STATE.

m ' IlESPONSffilLiisii;;; '■-'.' Sir,—ln Dr. Hay's .last-annuals/re-' 'port on mental; diseases. aftraars/vthq' 'startlingf. insane/ person;'to, ; every, ■ 290/ oft- New Zealand's population, and that'the total, number of insane in'the various: iionsZ ; is>3s49.;!'':::-;Thq -no udoubfc/is' : correc.t;;jsUt_..the:!first, /-.is/ 'quite'misleading;;*' :'/"•:/>:>-X- ;; £: : .f ■?.■:{■ "/IKhas/beenmy misfortune.to have' to: take members/'of my 'family : /to //the : asylums /on/;four/different / 'occasions,' ;and !as. I : have' been brought into ..close. I..contact with*the: frightful "curse /for / & ! : great'' number:- ofyears', '-I ;z take the/ i libe'rtyvof /criticising this report in/the ■: hope, that, soine; steps. will, soon, he taken .jo ,/st-op/- the, increase- of/insanity. '■' \ ",.A ' tfarm-hearted, constable'- once'/'remarked: to. me;/'in ''one of /.my trips'":tb/ ..the ] . asylums, ■ trying no doulst, to' soften' the : .blow: ."You.must' remember;::Mr....X,' there'are'far-more insane people-'out-, sideHhovasylums; than therelarc:inside.?'/ /And this-:' constable. was, rigbtjj/becaus'e almost 'all /the'.'ihmates:"'of/our', asylums havovcrelatioiis ~/outside.- ■:;■■ Brothers,' sisters, cousins, uncles/ and aunts,'who are 'marrying "and.; bringing Children ;into : the world,'-more or less tainted. 'It should be borne in mind that.only tlio worst .cases i.of -those ; mentally.afflicted -are: sent 'to'-.the -asylum,;'and ;that .there,;are:;many who: escape'.' the 'ordeal -"only: by. the; skin: of .their- teeth.' Therefore, I: maintain /that'the; state-;' 'rherVt'of lin 290. is not correct;.. ;>/•■•'•''

; .1 hesitate to/criticise ..the'..table :.pubiish'ed 'as Ho ; the causes "of nhsanity/.-for fear of- hurting . Dr. Hay's or.'spmeo'ne .else!.s,-.feclings, but how T can'."previous "atta'ck's,"" and ■Vihenta : i^s v tt^lss, , r ? -Vand -V'critical-.'periods" : , ''bal ? !vCausW^{o'f:-.. ; - : 'in-. sanity ?-.. Anyone "who: gives. ihefsubject a, littlb. thought', and. has had> any.; ex-, perience, knows that there is'bhe-serious. cause -of,' insanity: to be. cbnsideredj'arid. that is-heredity. • A superintendent; of oho of.;the asylums.'has that 80 or'9o'per cent, of cases';'admitted' were .caused : by : -heredity,-•,'and.;he ? .was -.'-ceiv t'airily'much hcarer.: ! the-'tru'tli!"; , ; . ' : .': Dr. r 'Hay appears to think "the. State, can do .nothing, to prevent theincreaso "of"'insanity. Would it. be-to' much for. thej-;State, to askveach\one desirous.-;of enterihg_:,what .arejcalled:,' the Jiblybonds of matrimony to.produco a,: dbctor's certificato?' -Notone in;,yhis or her . sonses : would' tliiiik "of; marrying • into a family where r.there;- was''known hereditary insanity.. But most people hide it •'if-thcy-S'ca'ni and if - tho-StaterVbinds - two • people together for. life tho least it eari do. is' to, see there' is;no jm'aßness ,on either ;side,- without'ttthe parties/being; aware of- Again;;;-: 7 would,ask Dr..Hay,: Is'it.not".time tbb State tried : .to prevent inbreedingP ,"I can, furnish him ,with' some.; .frightful cases of. the Te'sultsof cousins-'niafrying. I know of a case of two.young people (with ■iii;saiiity,.pn';;bbth;_sides)-;*"ho, are on-the point '• of ■•• matrimony:-:-';ls ■:" this' likely: to -turn out a good, speculation for the State? -Where ,d6e's come in in a uiiibn of this sbrt, because the offspring are certain te be mentally Weak?.'. ■■':' ■'■:'.'■ ''.'::■■.;■..'-::■.-:■::-..

It. passes my'-- comprehension., how inspectors of asylums*, doctors, ministers of religion, and; all those who are brought into. contact with - this frightful curso to the 1 human race can* year after_ year, read - such.- reports-'- as. the one- in question without protest, and without sayingYLct us:try;to"do'something. In my. poor : „daughtor!B'.-last letter from' Asylum she says :■ "I;,; don't, expect I; shall, ever, see my homo;again.";' And sho'is suffering from hereditary . insanity. In'prison for life, from the' age of 18..through.'no fault.of,her own. Think of it; ye good people', 'nnd say is this-not a crime? Apologising for tho ■■ length of; !■ this letter, and thanking you in anticipa-tion,—-I am, etc., ■ PATER.