The Cause Of Melancholy

From the Chicago Times. A medical Journal of racogoized abillty calis attentinn lo the Inervase of melauclioly cluring the past few years. It refers to it as "the strange dUease of modern lile," declares that it is very .pi y iletit in every cines ot society, but is most observable among the man wewUliji learned, and cultlvated classes. It Ríales that it sometimes assumes the foimof a distinct malady. but tbut it is more often found associateil vvitli other diseases. It declares that physicians have lin; thouffht that melancliolv was caused by these diseases, but that rereutly they are coming to tlie conclusión that the diseases are the re'i It of melancholy. It reler.-s to the inereasing number of suicides, and declares that they are eaused in al most every instance by the melancholy condition of the persen who comniits the rash act. It traces dyspcpsia, resllessness, and inability lo sleep to the same cause. It advies piiysiciaus to strive to make their patients jolly. It also advises them to recominend athletic sports, humorous literature, and vaiiety of amusements. It fiujrgests that they advise those who show a dispo sitien to be melancholy to avoid poetry, music, dramas, serious novéis, and, above all, sentimental people. The doctors seem to fall In wlth the ideas put forth In this medical jnurnal. They think melancholy is increasing to an alarming extent among the classes referred to. They are not agí eed, however, about the cause of it. Sume think It Ís due to the liver, as the ancientssupposed, and othera that it Ís caused by using tea, tobáceo, or highly seasoned tood. 8ome declare that those who have the most to do are mostlikely to be alllicted with melancholi', while others take exactly the contrary view. As they can not igiee on the priinary causeo fmelancho'y, ofeourse they do not unite in recouiniendiiig a remedy. It is very easy to assuine that melancholy is more general among the people of the present generation than amoiig those of formnr times. It is very difflcult, however, to substantiate the statement. It is ceitain that the oíd Jewish writers were not a very jolly set. We are never moved to laughter while reading their production. Neai ly all the aiicient literature of the Greeke and Honins is very solemn and grave. Suicide was very conimon among the Greeks and Homaiis, and not a few of their greateft philosophers and statesmen took their owu liyes. ür. Draper informa us that the most despondeut period of history oceurred when tlie greate?t intellect uul activitv exisited Thls was belween the fall of mylholojry and the coinmenceim-nï of the era ot taith. The aucient Peruvians ind cans weie very soleuin people. öo were the old Uritons, Germiins and Scandiuavians. The historiausof any nation have little to say abuut tui). Ferhaps ihey tüink it is uiiwoitliy of notice. Perhaps tliere was a comic literatura iü eveiy period of the world's history. wliicli perished long before our time. The saddest things iu ait and liu-ralure appear to live longe.-t. Immoi tality may be iusursd for any produclion of the pen, chlsel, or peucil lliat can be relied upon to produce tears. Burns compaied the lite of pleasures to to that of poppies in respect to duiation. Tiiey die and leave nu record. Hut soirows live on tbrouffh the ajtes. It , liowever, very difrlcult to determine whetiier we are more or less meliinclioly thun our near or remóte ancettois. Pur all we know to the contrary, the people of all former iige mav have lieen mi bad.y alllicted with tlie "'llues" ai we ai e. There are no records kept ( f thu couditions of mind of large nuinbers of peope in any age or counliy. Our intormalion is chiefly derlved trom woiks of literature and art, which may not be faituful exponentsof the trae state of nffaiis. Kearly all who have wuiched the negioes iu tli is country durin the past twenty years declare that they aie mueh k'ss jolly DOW than they weru iu sluvery days. Their soujjs are les frequeutly heard on the plantations and river sieamboats. Au old planter .-taii-s that the decline in negro minvtreliy comnieiiced with the emancipiition proel, imation. Personal ctres theii bej;aii. As the negro became a yoter he beetuae interested in the cares of state, liesoon begtin to le.id sentimental novéis and jioetry. Some nejrroes studled philosophy, theology, and polltical science. They liccauie too intellectual to ging, dance, and play the banjo. They put awuy all ehildisli things. It is often remarked that children enjoy a shorter period of childhood than they did a few years ago. They are not put to Bchool earlier, but they become youns; men and woiuon at a uiucu earlier ae. The period for playlng with topg, ballg, narbles, and dolle is rcduced by nevenil years. Few children take mucli detight in füiry tales in this ire t doubt and sprcuhition. Thcy loe all faith in the rapernatural long before they leam to reacl. l'liilosoplicrs as wel] is poets unite in dccliiring i)apiini'-.x to bc "mir bflng'a end and aim." Onr fatbtTI dcclarcd tbfl pui-snit of hiippinoss to l)e one of Inallenible riglits of man. Still, fur some reason, tlie niHJority of liniiian bcinsis do not Bppear to realizc any vory preat imount Ol bitppliieaf. P' ii-si b 'y we have become loo higlily civilized for OUr food. The incrtase of melanclioly, if it has increased, shows that snniuthing ia ladicallv wrong in our educatloo or man oer of life. There are orgaiilzatiom for iinprovinjr the eonditloii of people in vaiious ways. Perhaps we sluiU soon have one for uiaking thein liappitr.