Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-20

The opening of the Ecole A1e Bonheur (the School of Happiness) at Paris has aroused widespread curiosity and inter est, especially among Frenchwomen, says the New York Tribune's core spondent. At 6rstEan atmosphere of humorous incredulity prevailed, but when the founders of the new move ment, Dr. Paul Vaienhn and his wife, showed that the School of Happiness by no means aspired to provide mere vague, indefinite road to sort of ter restrial paradise, but was based on practical, scientific methods and laws, the idea elicited9 the sympathy and SUD- port of goodly number of prominent men and women. Foremost among the adherents of the new movement toward happiness is Mime. du Cast, the attrac- tive Parisian lady of literary, balloon sng and automobile fame.
 Dr. Paul valentfn, who opened pro- ceedings with an eloquent address, is . nervous, wiry little man wdh exceed ingly intelligent, sparkling eyes. He studied nervous diseases with the fa- nous Dr. Charcot and has for the last ten years devoted himself to special experiments and Investigations in re- gard to the psychology of modern wo- men from normal and pathological standpoints. pr. Paul Vaientin has succeeded in forming a group of de voted apostles of both sexes, and lec- lures and courses of instruction were recently begun in Paris at the Institut Rudy, and it iss intended later on to arrange for similar courses in the Unit ed States, Great Britain, Germany, Aus tria-Hungary, Italy and Spain.
 A fundamental idea of the School of Happiness is that the human race in civilized countries is afflicted with com plex maladies and affections which can only be combated by bringing back men and women to the normal condi- ton of cerebral, moral and psychical equilibrium; that intense civilization has greatly enlarged and deepened the struggle that has always existed in the human organism between pleasure and beneficial activity on the one hand and pain and pernicious activity on the oth- CT According. to the apostles of the AACW SGAVU1s- 4A1dPp4ACSSs vuCk'Chuo 0P0A the re-estab blishment of the normal syss tenn. When questioned, pr. Valentin said: If all human beings were in a normal condition-that is to say, in the possession of the full sense of their functions in accordance with the re- quirementss of perfect organism-they would all have the balance of agreeable sensation to their credit, and to them there would be no problem of happi- ness to solve. Each of our vices core spends with some biological defect, known or unknown, which units us for correct development. Our faults express intellectual conditions more or less morbid and complicated by nerv- aus congenital deterioration or by nu- trftive dedections from the cerebral cen ters. Whether we have to do with ire sistible impulse, failing memory, alter. native, excitement or depression the psychologist always finds behind these apparently spontaneous features the il. logism, transient OF permanent, of g brain fatigued. badly constructed o1 badly reared"
 4Can these conditions be treated and cured ?"
 "Yes. Science possesses a medical treatment for excessive or dangerous passions. Soon we may have an edu 'cational prophylaxia of criminality Mental orthopedia is not an empty phrase. We can teach certain unbal anced minds to examine themselves and those. abeuf them, and we car