DIFFERENT MORBID FORMS 



269 



tered as insane lias increased from 1,695 to 2,549, the number of 

 women from 1,389 to 1,900. The diagram on the opposite page 

 shows more clearly than any figures the constancy of this in- 

 crease in the rate of insanity. If we consider only short periods, 

 the increase does not manifest itself so clearly ; but when we 

 consider the whole of this period of seventeen years — a very short 

 epoch in the Ufe of a nation — we observe the results in all their 

 terrible eloquence. An increase of 45 per cent, in the insanity- 

 rate during seventeen years is indeed alarming. 



Having noted this increase, let us observe some of its details. 

 What are the forms of insanity which have been registered, and 

 what share has each form in the increase of the whole ? If we 

 turn to Table A, giving the number of persons admitted to the 

 infirmary of the Pohce Prefecture in Paris during the years 

 1886-88, we find 4,831 men and 3,308 women. Table C shows 



Table C— Relative Peequency of the Diefebent Moebid 

 Forms among the Men. 



Alcoholism 1,813 cases. 



Mental degeneracy (idiocy, etc.) . . . . . . 821 „ 



Mental enfeeblement (softening of the brain, 



tumours, etc.) 

 General paralysis . . 



Epilepsy 

 Mania 

 Melancholia 

 Senile dementia 

 Chronic delirium 



Total . . 



548 

 710 

 249 

 210 

 179 

 150 

 105 



4,831 



Relative Fbequbncy op the Diffbeent Mobbid Fobms 

 among the women. 



Mental degeneracy (idiocy, etc.) 



Melancholia 



Mental enfeeblement (softening 



tumours, etc. ) 

 Alcoholism . . 

 Mania 



General paralysis . . 

 Senile dementia 

 Chronic delirium . . 

 Epilepsy 



Total . . 



of the brain. 



644 cases. 



509 „ 



438 „ 



376 „ 



321 „ 



288 „ 



287 „ 



276 „ 



169 „ 



3,308 „ 



