Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-02-03

many others concerning which it is in a position to
make definite hypothesis. The time has now ar
rived when it is attempting to apply its facts and
principles to the solution of some of the most impor-
tant problems of our daily life.
1t is a matter of common knowledge that during the
last few years there has been an ever growing attempt
to cure diseases, both OF the mind and of the body,
through the tremendous power of suggestion. Prof.
Munsterberg, in this country and others abroad, through
experiments and practical applications, have conclu-
sively shown that our knowledge of the laws of mind
may be used to relieve human life of some of its great
est ills. Probably no discovery in physical science prom
Uses to be of as great and lasting benefit to the world
as the discovery of the power of suggestion as a law
governing a large part of the life of every individual.
The time is soon coming when no reputable physician
will dare to practice medicine without some knowledge
of the facts of acknowledgements
Recently, and very largely under the leadership of
Prof. William Stern, of the University of Breslau, ex-
tensiye Investigations have BEN carried on in regard
to the psychology of testimony. These Investigations
have thrown important light upon a vital phase of court
procedure and have shown its great weakness in many
particulars. Soon this new field of applied psychology
will be able to lay down definite laws in the conduct OF
the examination of the witness. The time is not, prob
ably, far distant when every court will have some officer
attached to it who is an expert in the psychology Of tes-
timony and who will be able to correct many misunder-
standings that are now current in regard to the essen
tal elements of the witnesses report and the extent of
its belief.
In Zurich DR.. Jung has devised a methed for discov-
ering some of the most important facts in regard to the
mental makeup of an individual. This procedure he
calls the "diagnostical associations method" He gives
to the subject to be tested, in succession, a list of 100
words, to which the subject is to respond with the first
association that comes into his mind after the presen-
tation of the original word. The character of the asso-
Citations formed and the time which intervenes between
the presentation of the stimulus word and the response
are important elements in diagnosing the mental con-
dition of the individual and in discovering essential facts
in his previous history. This method has been used with
marked success in the discovery of crime and it prom
ises to be of great Importance in the diagnosis of nerv-
Gus diseases and in the detection of the criminal.
While the application of psychology to the treatment
of diseases, to the discovery of truth and to the detec-
ton of the criminal Is tremendously important, another
field Of its application, while less spectacular and while
not calculated to excite Immediately so great popular
interest, promises to be Of more far-reaching conse-
quence in the regulation of our daily life. This last
named field is in the psychology of learning and applies
to the work of our entire school system, from the kin
dergarten through the university. The leader in this
movement is Prof. Meumann, of the University Of Halle.
During the last decade Melmann and his pupils have
been attempting to discover the most direct and eco
nomical methods of the acquisition of knowledge and a
large amount of material has been brought together,
many facts have been established and conclusions Of
practical value obtained. 1t Is in this phase of the work
Of applied psychology that the University Of Illinois is
particularly interested. For the last four years expert
ments have been carried on under the direction Of the
mining some of the most ~impestant facts concerning
memory and kindred topics, the thought being that II
the department Of psychology were to be Of maximum