d
1896--a period of 45 years intervening--shows an increase in the
corresponding ratio from 1:657 to 1:178. The census of 1901 showed in
Great Britain 484,507 mental defectives of all kinds; this is one to
85 of the total population, and probably if the whole truth were known
the ratio would approximate 1:50, according to Rentoul's calculation.
The ratio of known insane just doubled in the decade preceding 1901.
The Scottish Commission reports an increase in insane of 190 per cent
since 1858, the total population increasing meanwhile by only 52 per
cent.

The worst side of these British statistics follows. In 1901, of the
60,000 and more, idiots, imbeciles, and feeble-minded, nearly
19,000--roughly one third--were married and free to multiply;
and as for that matter a great many of those unmarried are known
to have been prolific. In 1901, of the 117,000 lunatics, nearly
47,000--considerably more than one third--were married. 65,700 idiots
and lunatics legally multiplying their kind and worse! Rentoul rightly
says: "The hand that wrecks the cradle wrecks the nation."

In the United States the census of 1880 reported 40,942 insane in
hospitals, and 51,017 not in hospitals--a total of 91,959 known
insane. In 1903 the number in hospitals had increased to 150,151. The
number not in hospitals was not given and cannot be determined
accurately, but it is conservatively estimated as certainly not less
than 30,000, and probably it is far greater than this. In many states
it is known that about one fourth of the insane are not in hospitals.
But taking the total of 180,000 as a conservative figure, the ratio of
known insane in the total population was 225 per 100,000 in 1903 as
compared with 183 per 100,000 in 1880.

The methods of the collection of such data vary in different countries
so that the results are not comparable. In a single country there is
less, though still some, lack of uniformity, so that the exact rate of
increase in the ratio of the insane is still somewhat doubtful.
Moreover, it is doubtless true that some of this apparent increase
results from improved methods in the collection of data, and from more
complete registration of these defectives. But suppose we disregard
entirely the idea of an increase in the ratio of these defectives, the
bare fact of the existence of nearly 200,000 insane in this country is
sufficiently alarming; and it is disgraceful to any nation, because it
is unnecessary. The Superinten