The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-06-14

ing done.
The COMMITTEES has been at work
for SIX years One OF its drst at
rempts was to determine the condt
hon OF the $780, insane people
who were held I'm institutions In the
United States It found r1Ige OF
treatment Of these unfortunates
which extended from eMctent care In
some Institutions TO naked maniacs
chainedto bare walls IN county 5at1s-
It gathered vast stores Of tnforma-
ton as to abuses and as to right
methods OF conducting the tnsEtr-
tons All this Information. and the
advice OF the experts OF the com nit
tee, are free for the asking to who
ever is SO engaged
A piece Of work has just been
concluded In South Carolina which
illustrates the usefulness Of this pro
gram That state found itself un-
satisfied with the conditions under
held. It asked the committee to
make a survey of its institutions. to
point out its mistakes. to show It how
to maugurate better methods In
the end It remodeled its whole sys--
tenn in accordance with the findings
and advice OF the national commit
tee for mental hygiene, and Is on the
way to conditions that approach the
ideal
II the insane person is to be merely
locked up until death comes. the
problem Is difficult one. but largely
concerned with administration. But,
If anything Is to be done for the
oisordered mind-if It Is ODE gwen
an opportunity to be led back to
hea1th-there is the crSing need for.
the development Of men who are com
petent doctors OF sick minds. There,
are few such in the nation and most
Of these are in the cities where they
are receiving large fees and getting
more practice than It is possible for
them to handle. One Of the funda-i
mental purposes OF the national com
nittee for mental hygiene Is to en-
duce medical colleges to give &c a
place in their courses.
The plan IS. then, to go back OF
the insane asylum. and to prevent
the individual from ever reaching it
Dr. William a White. superintendent
Of the government hospital for the
insane at Washington, points out q
large number OF classes Of indfvi-a
duaIs who need mental hygiene to-
straighten them out into useful citi-i
zenship and prevent their reaching
the asylum toward which they are
bound There is the individual who
is unable to Seach an emotional calm
after the death of a relative 1t
is his mind that needs but bit OF
understanding treatment There IS
the individual who is discharged by
his employer. perhaps unjustly, and
allows the wrong that has been done
him to wrankIe In his brain. There
is the young woman who becomes
hysterical and cannot regain control
OF herself purely mental state
These require the most sk1Hful treat
ment that they may be saved to san
ity and usefulness Ind that an 1nst-
tuition may be relieved of the burden
of caring for. them until their deaths.
Physicians should have the training
that would make them competent to-
deal with these cases
There Is the case Of the man who
loses his job and who becomes un-]
able to support his family This man
very often get sick, becomes bedrd-
den There is nothing physically the
matter with, him He has suocon-'
sciously made himself i'll that he
might justify himself for not work
ing. He cannot even confess this
fact to hiNsen or his Justification
would be gone He needs the mind
doctor There is the individual who
has assigned himself task Of which
he is mentally incapable He has
tried to be a professional man when
he was capable OF being only a clerk.
or to be clerk when his intelligence
was only up to the grade of an un-1
skilled laborer. He needs ADJUST
ment by being PLACID on the right
track by the mind doctor He might
thus be saved the asylum
There are bound to be many ind1vi-
duals who have difficulty in squaE
ing with the events Of every day life,