IV. THE INSANE 



A brief and concise definition and explanation of insanity 

 will be found in the following quotation : 



An insane person is one incapacitated as the result of a mental dis- 

 ease. Such disease usually results from other disease or injury of the brain 

 and nervous system, yet sometimes has its origin in diseases of the more 

 remote organs of the body. It is a disease of adult life and with few 

 exceptions develops at or after the period of adolescence. Many cases of 

 insanity are plainly hereditary in nature and are the result of the breaking 

 down of a transmitted susceptible mental and nervous organization. It is 

 curable or incurable, depending upon the form, the cause, individual devel- 

 opment of the person affected, and early treatment. The vast majority of 

 cases are preventable.^ 



The insane used for this study include those suffering from 

 functional mental disorders as well as those having organic 

 mental disease, for the social problems of each must be con- 

 sidered. It must first be remembered that mental sickness even 

 in its mildest forms is far worse than physical illness and is 

 often more torturing. It is a mistake to believe that the insane 

 do not realize their condition. Most of them, unless completely 

 demented, know that their minds are not normal and they suffer 

 anguish over this knowledge. 



For the past fifty years the public has been educated in Indi- 

 ana regarding care for the insane, until at present it is estimated 

 that 79 per cent of those now needing care are in hospitals for 

 the purpose.^ Segregation under state supervision unquestion- 

 ably is the best method of care and prevention. However, the 

 difficulty is in the manifold manifestations of the diseased brain, 

 making early diagnosis difficult. The border-line between the 

 sane and the insane is very obscure, so that often the case is not 

 recognized nor seriously regarded until a dangerous period has 

 been reached. It is usually not until this time that expert medical 

 advice is sought. Further public education is needed for early 

 recognition of mental disorder, that curable cases may be cared 

 for before it is too late. 



The United States census for 1910 gives an enumeration of 

 187,791 insane persons in 366 institutions. ''The annual cost of 

 the burden of insanity alone, computed at the conservative esti- 



iSecond Report ol' the Committee on Mental Defectives in Indiana, Marcli 6. 1919. 

 mid., p. 57. 



. (37) 



