SECRECY ABOUT INSANITY

Hokitika Guardian, 7 September 1923, Page 1

SECRECY ABOUT INSANITY

NEED FOR, GREATER FRAXK- . NESS. LONDON, July 12. Sir Eric Geddes was tlie guest of the Medico-Psychological Association of Great Britain and Ireland at tlie annual dinner at the Hotel, Metropole, Northumberland Avenue, AY.C., last night. He said :

Alen and women will talk of any of the illnesses to which man is subjected with a notable frankness and openness, but in speaking of those inflicted with insanity the voice is lowered and it is not thought considerate to the feelings of tlie relatives to inquire after the progress of the patient. This atmosphere of secrecy, of obscurity, and ol shame which surrounds the mental patient is, in my humble judgment, one of the greatest unscientific barriers in the progress of care of mental disorders. The public shrinks from the stigma of insanity, and perhaps I may say that if your profession is not more backward in this branch of medical science, it is at any rate confronted with a longer vista of the unknown, and with perhaps greater complexities than exist in other branches of medicine.

I think there would he few in this company to-night who would claim that you have much more than passed the fringe of knowledge of the cause, prevention, and cure of insanity, of its acquisition, and of its hereditary transmission. One sees figures of astounding results obtained in America and other countries of the treatment of persons in mental hospitals.

I use the term “mental hospitals” because I believe that the elimination of the word “lunatic asylum” from our vocabulary would by its indirect effect upon the mind of tlie public be of great benefit to you in tlie attainment of your objects. On January l of this year we had 126,00!) persons notified insane and under care in England and AAkilcs alone, an increase of 6,000 in the last three years, and of these about 80 per cent, arc eared for in public menta hospitals. It is difficult from sucli published figures as L have been able to obtain to say what tlie recovery rate is. because of readmission, but in any event over the last 10 years it is showing practically no improvement, and the cost to the public of this must he enormous.

Apart from those who are registered as certified insane, there must be enormous numbers, of which I have been unable to ascertain. Who are mentally

nffilieted and who are cared for—in tho ease of tho wealthier classes of the community—or who are not sufficiently nffilieted to enforce their certification and removal to a mental hospital. Sir Eric said a large proportion of these cases could be cured, and if real demonstrable figures could be shown, ii< believed the Government and > local authorities would loosen tlieir pursestrings, not only on the grounds of humanity but also of economy. Ho understood there was no doubt that more than half the insanity was pathogenic, or caused by disease, and. that a very large proportion of such sufferers could he cured. Nerve strain and nervous disorders accounted for another large proportion. The possibilities of investigating each case on scientific lines were limited by lack of funds, and the education of those responsible for the treatment of the insane was limited. They were almost forced to sit with folded hands, . trusting to Nature and a healthy environment to remedy what they knew could ho remedied by scientific means.