Too often families are ruined by some insane member, the bread winner having to devote his whole time to the control of wife or child, or a crime is committed and every energy and the savings of a lifetime must be devoted to the cost of courts. Whole communities are frequently terrorized by an insane person and the lives of the women and children made miserable. Only a few recover at once or die, they live on for years not only imbecile and helpless themselves, but a burden on the family and community, a severe drain which must tend to weaken the general welfare of the State. There are sufficient reasons for you as physicians, men of standing in your respective communities, not only to make yourselves familiar with the disease in order that you may prescribe intelligently for those suffering from it, but to use your influence, which is great, to see that proper provision is made for them by the public. [Illustration: PATIENTS PLAYING BASEBALL] Much insanity is caused by alcohol and drugs. This touches you more closely, for you are largely responsible for these habits. You may do something by preventing unwise marriages of those whose heredity is not good. It should be your special province to recognize dangerous symptoms in time and by prompt action prevent suicides and accidents and to send to the hospitals at once these patients who have infinitely more chances to recover when placed under the care of competent alienists. [Illustration: MAKING FIRST BASE] 2,500 WHITE INSANE UNCARED FOR. The conclusions we reach are that 2,500 white insane people in North Carolina are uncared for, that a great outlay of money will be required to build for this number and after that the never ending expense of maintaining them begins. If it can be demonstrated that the colony system is the best and the cheapest, it should by all means be adopted. There is an end to the willingness and even ability of the taxpayers to provide for the defectives in expensive hospitals and asylums, and it is clearly the duty of those who have these matters in hand to use proper economy. What is done by the Legislature will depend on the demand of the people and the wisdom of the Legislators. It will require great deliberation and the wisest action to solve this question. In North Carolina no more hospitals ought to be built at present, those now in existence should be enlarged if possible. Unfortunately at Morganton no more land can be purchased and that institution cannot with advantage be greatly increased in size. The last opportunity to buy land there has been allowed to pass. This is to be deplored for the plan there has been so successful that much was hoped for in the judicious extension of these colonies. Much more might be said on the general subject of caring for the insane, but time forbids. Perhaps on some future occasion this will be taken up and discussed.