The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-31
AN EPOCH-MARKING PROJECT.

Within the past fortnight the old saying that a prophet is not without honor save in his own country has been convincingly refuted The quick appreciation of the merits of "A Mind That Found Itself" written by Cliff ford Whittingham Beers, a native of New Haven, would indicate that the people of this city are surprisingly in- telligent or that the book itself Is, in- deed, so remarkable as to promptly impress a less astute community
 In what might be termed muck rake age it is not only unusual but re- freshing to find an investigator pos sessed of the constructive as well as the critical and condemnatory facu- ty. Mir. Beers in his book might have attacked existing institutions and wantonly antagonized the very men whose cooperation must be obtained : If the so-called abuses and deficiencies in treatment he so frankly discusses , are to be corrected. Instead, though he endured needless hardship while confined as a mental incompetent MT Beers presents his revelations in fairness and rare insight into the mys- teries of one of lifes most bafflng phases lift his book out of the cate gory of the commonplace and make it noteworthy. How far reaching in ef- feet the impending campaign of edu- cation and reform will prove is im- possible of estimation to-day, but, in our opinion, it will finally take rank as one of the notable achievements of the present century.
 We have known the author of "A Mind That Found Itself" since he was boy It was therefore not easy, when we first heard of his project to believe that he could successfully car ry out the somewhat staggering plan He was. Tn fact, a prophet without much honor at home. But with ad- mirable persistence and an intelli- gence which seems to have been in stinctive, so unerring was it in the midst of insuperable difficulties, MT Beers swept aside what might, to an other, have been discouraging crit icism and pushed on toward the goal which so many now see as plainly as he saw it five years ago. That tenacity of purpose is characteristic of the man Is abundantly proved by his autobiography. and that Mir Beers will accomplish the as yet unfuflled part of his program seems assured.
 It has been our privilege to come into possession of the vital details of the campaign planned for the bet terment of the mental health of the nation, which plan includes, of course.
  the protection of the interests of the l1apless thousands confined to-day in all institutions for the insane Prior to the inaugurating of the national movement, however. will come the founding of the Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene, the first of the many State societies which will be brought into existence through the agency of the parent body, the na- tional committee. This first State so- lay. That our State should take the lead is logical in the circumstances, MT. Beers having made in Connect- cuts name what amounts to a comics sion of her shortcomings. But as every State in the union might make a similar confession. If each State pos sessed a confessor of the Beers type, Connecticut may calmly look her sis ter States in the face and lift rather than lower her wise old head.
 The functions of the projected State Society for Mental Hygiene are too numerous to admit of detailed de- scription here, but its more important activities may be outlined First, the society will create interest in and sym pathy for those who are actually in- sane and confined in our institutions Ii will through press and pulpit and innumerable other channels, create public sentiment which will eventual ly express itself through the legisla ture in the form of adequate appro- priations. And, be 1t borne in mind, adequate appropriations will raise standards of treatment and eliminate the deficiencies which now breed abuses. Thus the State hospital at Middletown may. in a comparatively short time. be made e model of its type But this of itself will not be sufficient To get at the root of the trouble q modern Psvchopathic hos