Inter-marriage, influenza, tea-drinking and potatoes were all once blamed for mental health issues, our archives reveal. The offsprings of unsound, imperfectly developed, or degenerate parents are liable to show signs of insanity. No doubt, the children of drunken parents are often predisposed to insanity, but few cases are directly traceable to drink. Potatoes may be mentioned in this connection, as the basis of the chief meal of the day is in many parts of Ireland ‘the pratie’. “To summarise the whole situation it may be said that the increase of lunacy .

Source: The Irish Times December 07, 2018 06:00 UTC