The alleged increase of lunacy : a farther note / by C. Lockhart Robertson, M.D.

  • C. Lockhart Robertson
Date:
[1870?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The alleged increase of lunacy : a farther note / by C. Lockhart Robertson, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    advance in the number for whom admission is sought; but if the total admissions during the five years are contrasted with tlie total admis- sions during the preceding five, then there is, as there onglit to be, a cousiderable increase, being in round numbers from 38,000 to 44,000. So also, going furtlier back for a period of five years, we find a rise from 36,000 to 38,000. More tlian one-half of this increase in the admissions may be regarded as a reasonable result of the increase of the population. The very sensible effect which the growth of the population may be expected to have on the number of admissions will be apparent when it is stated that the population rose from 17,150,018 to 21,429,508 during the twenty years before 1867, being an increase of about one-fourth. The steadiness, however, of the numbers admitted into asylums from year to year, during this period, between 1859 and 1863, may possibly have been accidental. But we find that the same thing occurs during other short periods of consecutive years. Thus, for instance, the four years which follow the quinquennium already referred to, show that— In 1864 . . . there were 9,367 admissions. „ 1865 ... „ 10,341 „ „ 1866 ... „ 9,970 „ „ 1867 ... „ 10,488 „ So also in Scotland, with the exception of the last two years, a like steadiness is displayed in the production of insanity, judged of by the number of those for whom admission into asylums is sought. Thus— In 1858 . . . there were 1448 admissions. „ 1859 ... „ 1422 „ I860 ... „ 1444 „ 1861 ... „ 1496 „ 1862 ... „ 1374 „ 1863 ... „ 1388 „ » 1864 ... „ 1421 „ „ 1865 ... „ 1472 „ „ 1866 ... „ 1567 „ „ 1867 ... „ 1711 The increase during the last two of these years in the number of those admitted into the asylums of Scotland is decided, and is probably re- ferable to the operation of causes of a temporary nature, such, for in- stance, as may arise froui tlie opening of the district asylums. At present we are only concerned to point out that those figures, as a whole, give no evidence of a progressive increase of admissions from year to year, corresponding to the progressive increase of the number resident. It will be enough to give one illustration of what is meant by this, though it would be easy to give mai^y irom the figures relathig either to England, Scotland, or France. We select the five years 1859
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