Ninety-second annual report of the Royal Edinburgh Asylum for the insane : For the year 1904.

  • Royal Edinburgh Asylum
Date:
[1905]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Ninety-second annual report of the Royal Edinburgh Asylum for the insane : For the year 1904. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ami of the effects of breaking such laws would do much to diminish its amount. Its diminution would necessarily go with the diminution of many other diseases and tendencies 01 liabilities to disease. Prevention would need to begin very Prevention young. Knowledge without action, often strenuous, and often begin young-. implying intense self-denial, would do little good. Such action and self-denial are unfortunately just the qualities which those most liable to become insane have, unaided, least power to carry out from their hereditary weaknesses. If one-tenth of the thought and one-twentieth of the effort that is at present wasted on political discussion and on unhealthful amusements Politics'and were for a few generations given to health knowledge and ^“e^ting. disease prevention we might make some progress. The fact is that men and women do not yet realise their health risks and health duties. AVe need a genius or two in each generation and a few fiery enthusiasts to compel the attention of men and women to such questions. Humanity, as a rule, is not yet altruistic enough to care much for the welfare of future Selfish generations. This may come in the course of our evolution. humanity* The cynic who asked—“ What has future generations done for mei”—accurately represents the present mood of the greater part of mankind. To see an Education Bill that Hamlet without makes no direct provision for teaching Health to our children, Denmark.6^ and an educational system that neglects the formation of self- con tiol and character as its highest duty is the most vivid proof of our present fatuous state of mind in regard to this tremendous problem. To observe the way marriages are often arranged is almost to lose hope for the future of our race. The causes of the disease in those admitted were, as usual, causes various, very diverse. Some of the causes acted directly and unmis¬ takably, others merely predisposed, with more or less force, to the mental upset in weak brains. Of the direct and Drink, exciting causes excessive drinking stands out well first. My last year’s statistics and conclusions on this matter were so use of severely questioned in some quarters that this year we took crltlclsm- unusual care to obtain correct histories of the cases. We gave the benefit of the doubt to all in whom a doubt could po.ssibly exist. In cases, or 19 per cent, of the whole, 19 per cent, c
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