The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-02-04

|feeble-minded and can't become a
good soldier.
Psychiatry, newest of useful
sciences, found out this fact and
host of others of equal interest
and importance since it was put
to work clearing the national
army of dead timber and making
it more efficient by adjusting the
man and the job.
Like all things new, even to
medical men outside of the U. 5.
army ono other army has adopted
liD, is little understood.
To most people the word stands
for something on the order of
BLACK Art" mysterious and aw-
full, like vivisection.
To be sure, the X-ray's eye
only looks into the body in search
of body disease, while the psy-
chiatrists peer into the brain and
analyze character and test tenn
permanent; but, they do it gently!
No Alarming Instruments.
There is no glittering array OF
polished instruments and no rub
er-gloved, white-robed and
white-masked surgeons. Instead
there is a kindly, white-haired,
sympathetic physician who talks
with a smile.
When hes thru talking and
his patient is thru replying to his
matter-of-fact, simple questions,
| he has a thumbnail sketch of the
soldiers mental makeup, and II
is on the result of this conversa-
ton, in many cases, that the man
continues as a soldier or Is sent
back to his home as unfit.
In word-psychiatry Is sci
entific common sense. 1t is CON-
mon, horse sense, standardized
and combined with all knowledge
science possesses about the brain
and its workings.
Capt. Robert P. Smith is divi'
sion psychiatrist. For seven years
he treated brain disorders in Sc.
attic, and before that he was as
sociate professor of neurology
and brain disease at the Balti'
more Medical college.
One Assistant.
He has one assistant, Firs'
Lieut.. Dick Ross of Salem, Ore.
and these two examine every man
sent to them by company com.
manders or base hospital physi
clans.
The results of some of these
simple little cross-questionings
are amazing, and yet, like the de.
auctions of Sherlock Holmes
when they are explained one feels
like saying: Why, that's moth
ing! Anybody could see that with
half an eye!"
Capt. Smith granted an inter
view a few days ago.
perhaps our greatest work Is
with men who are SLOW
They are the butts of the COM
pany joke-makers and their cap
tains call them stupid or stub
born. They try hard to do what
is right, but they can't. Then
they are sent to us.
Many Are Morons.
"In the vast majority of cases
they are what we call 'morons'-
men who have been tied to moth
ers' apron strings
For years they have never
changed jobs or girls or clothes
without consulting mother OF
father, and now with mother OF
father miles away they can't make
decisions for themselves and dc
1t rapidly.
As a result they are called slow,
and since an army can be nc
more efficient than the least eff
cient man, these slow mothers
boys must CO."
While the men who associate
with the morons poke fun al
them and hold them to blame for
their misfortune, the psychiatrist
doesn't.
II try to place myself in the
position of the man and to see
his troubles with his eyes," said
the captain. "Then / can under
stand why he does certain things
or leaves them undone. Then
can suggest q remedy. l can rec.
ommend that he be transferred
n