TABLE 18. Showing the causes of Insanity as affecting persons pursuing different Occupations. This table continues to confirm the views expressed in former reports, that intemperance is the cause of insanity with those who pursue, active, rather than sedentary employments, and that those who pursue light and sedentary employments are more frequently the victims of the secret vice. Of the 160 farmers, 321 per cent. became insane by intemperance, 143 per cent. by the secret vice, 133 per cent. by religious influences, and 12 per cent. by trouble respecting property. Of 91 laborers, 60 per cent. are from intemperance, 14 per cent. from the secret vice, 63 per cent. from religious influences, and 5 per cent. from anxiety about property. Of 46 seamen, 54 per cent. of the cases are from intemperance, 11 per cent. from the secret vice, 11 per cent. from religious influences, and 13 per cent. from trouble about property. Of the 53 who pursue active mechanical trades, carpenters, blacksmiths, &c., 35 per cent. arise from intemperance, 13 from the secret vice, 11 from religious influences, and 13 from anxiety about property. Of the 155 who pursue light and sedentary employments, including merchants, printers, students, and shoemakers, 12 per cent. arise from intemperance, 50 per cent. from the secret vice, 9 from religious influences, and 11 from anxiety about property. Of 17 professional men who have been in the Hospital, 4 became insane by intemperance, 6 by the secret vice, 1 from religious influences, and 3 from anxiety about property. TABLE 19. Showing the state of the Moon at the commencement of a paroxysm of excitement in 106 cases of Periodical Insanity, amounting in all to 789 paroxysms. Also the relation of the Moon to the 151 Deaths that have occurred in the Hospital. We have added to the records of the last year, on the subject of the moon, nine cases of periodical insanity and 61 paroxyms, in all 106 cases and 789 paroxysms. The facts accumulated on this subject have become so numerous that I am unwilling to discontinue the record, though nothing occurs to sustain the theories that have, for so long a time, been prevalent upon the subject. The 15 deaths that have occurred in the Hospital the last year, arranged according to the theory of Dr. Allen, the champion of lunar influence in modern times, will show at the new and full moon 8 deaths, and at the quadratures 7 deaths, which is a trifle in favor of this theory. There have now been 151 deaths in the Hospital; 74 of them have been at the time of the new and full moon, and 77 at the quadratures. The whole number of paroxysms of excitement recorded in the table is 789; of these, 372 occurred at the new and full moon, which, according to Dr. Allen's views, is the period of increased excitement, and 417 at the quadratures, the period of diminished excitement. Thus we see that our observations do not confirm the plausible theory so fully sustained by Dr. Allen's tables. It is useless to go over the subject more fully. My observations have no reference to any theory, as I have never adopted one. The first period of diurnal excitement, from 4 o'clock in the morning till 9, may have some countenance from facts, as I think at day light, and as light advances in the morning, the violently insane are liable to be excited. The same is true of bright moon-light nights, which I have always attributed to light only, and not to the period of the day, or the lunar period. Some patients have morning and some evening excitements. I have no data to decide which are most numerous or most aggravated. It is quite as frequently the case that the violent insane are more excited after sleep, as that they are more quiet. Per Cent. of cases from the most prominent Causes each year. Per Cent of deaths of all in the Hospital each year. 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 24 34 3 31 34 54 33 23 43 Per cent of deaths of the whole number, 151 of 2013, Per Cent. of Recoveries compared with the admitted. There have been in the Hospital 2013 patients, of whom 916 have recovered, 45 per cent. which is There have been admitted to the Hospital the last year 236 patients, and there have recovered 124, which is 52 per cent. There have been admitted 127 cases of duration less than one year, of these 93 have recovered, which is 73 per cent. |