The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-01-12
SOCIETY ELECTS OFFICERS
North Carolina Organization
Pressing Subject To Front
and VIII Ask General As
SembIy For Legislation To
Put Some of Features of
Work Into Operation

Mental hygiene is TO become a live
issue in North Carolina and the North
Carolina Society is pressing the sub
5ect to the front and will ask for
legislation at this session Of the
Legislature TO put some OF its features
into operation.
The North Carolina Society for |
Mental Hygiene held it's regular an
u meeting here yesterday, holding
" sessions, one In the afternoon and
another at night.
The night meeting was held in the
hall OF the House of Representatives
and besides the general public. there
were quite a umbe Of the members
OF The Legislature present to hear the
addresses of DR.. William A. White,
superintendent of the government hos
pital at Washington, d. c., and DR..
William Louis Poteat, president Of
Wake Forest College.
After the addresses the audience
extended a vote OF thanks to the
speakers for their interesting speeches
along the mes Of mental hygine.
DIR. White was introduced by the
president OF the society, Mr.. w. A.
Erwin, who called the meeting to
order.
DIR. Whites address was THE Gen.
eral Meaning OF the Mental Hygiene
Movement" He spoke for over an
hour on the insane feature of mental
hygiene, laying great stress on this
one subject. saying h a our hospitals
should be better equipped for the
treatment Of the insane with the
present idea of committing them to
the hospitals as criminals are COM
mitted to jails. He said the hospitals
should also be provided with ade-
the treatment of the weak-minded
and the giving out of advice to the
general public who should know a
great deal more about mental hygiene.
He also referred to the way in which
an inmate is received in the average
institutions. That they were treated
as prisoners are treated and this
caused many hopeless cases some
times. DR.. White told the Legislators
that means should be appropriated
for an institution for the convalescen
insane.
DIR. Whites address as a whole wa:
one full of force and carried with /
many new ideas along the subject o.
mental hygiene which was listened t.
for over an hour by many interested
hearers.
DIR. Poteat Speaks.
DR.. William Louis Poteat, presiden
of Wake Forest College, being intro
duced by President w. A. Erwin, de
livered a very forcible argument 70
the sake of mental hygiene in tn
State. DR.. Poteat said, And do no
many among us, as was intimated i
the outset, still regard the epilepti
and insane with a degree of suspicion
awe akin to the medieval attitude
The mental convalescent-are W
quite sure that we receive him wit
the same cordially as the fever col
valescent? And how are we to aC
count for the public Indifference r.
Elected in the inadequate provisio
fnr tha nara ~ <ho ,-co-n nvonpt ~
the view that We are in need Of Sc
eral more degrees Of enlightened
and humanity? Think of the horrt
OF committing the victim of SON
brain disorder to the neglect ar
odium of the Jail. 1 have heard
that horror as occurring in Mort
Cardinal"
In his concluding remarks DR.. p
teat referred to the great publici:
DR.. Eliot, as saying that the futu
democracy was with the schools, b
he said he would venture to say tn
democracy needs more than learnin
The doctors address was round
a~pplauded and every one within t
sound of his voice fully appreciated
At the afternoon session, which W
held in the auditorium OF the Char
Der Of Commerce, President w. a. L
win presided.
DIR. Anderson, the secretary, made
report Of the years work. which
Guided the distribution of literatu
on mental hygiene. these being t
pamphlets, n being entitled "Sol
Phases of Hygiene Methods and t
Scope OF the National Committee !
Mental Hygiene" and the otf
Principal Of Mental Hygiene to
Management of Children. Particul;
ly to the Nervous" A leafet issu
by the society on Hospital Ire
ment Versus Imprisonment in Jail
was also distributed.
There were addresses on men