The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-09-16
PLAN CLINICS
TO STUDY CRIME
Psychiatric Research Offers Pos
sibhities in the Solving Of
Problems.
WORK RENEWED AFTER WAR.
Preventive Rather Than Cure 10 thO
Watchword Of the Modern Psy.
ehiatrist-Rsach Them Before
Crime Becomes q Habit.

Crime Becomes Habit
New YOrk.-BrOad pc ,ibilities fol
the operation of psychiatric clinics iL
connection with courts and correction
al institutions during the reconstruc
ton period are outlined in an article
appearing in Mental Hygiene, written
by DR.. Thomas w. Salmon, medical
director of the national committee for
mental hygiene. The title Of the ar.
ticle is "Some New Problems for Psy.
chiatric Research in Delinquency"
The work of which DR.. Salmon
writes was well under way in num-
Der of institutions, notably in the
vicinity of New York City. when war
interrupted it. taking many of the
trained psychiatrists into the service
and otherwise curtailing the effort to
apply the principles of modern psy-
chiatry to the handling of persons ac-
cused of crime and those already con-
victed.
Sufficient progress had been made
with the work, says DR.. Salmon. to
assure it of an important place in all
future efforts to get at the roots of
crime and delinquency and to make
1t certain that these conditions "can
no more be successfully managed with
our investigating the state of the or
gan of conduct than disorders of other
kinds can be treated without under
standing the processes responsible for
them"
Its Importance In Courts.
The beginning Of the application of
psychiatry TO crime and delinquency
was through clinics in children's
courts. Successful here. it spread in
TO other criminal courts and into in
stirutions where according to DR..
Salmon. II is destined TO play an i'm
portant part in determining the best
methods for handling prisoners so as
TO do the best by them and by society
SIS well.
In connection with the part the
psychiatrist is destined to play in
modern court procedure. DR.. Salmon
believes that the establishment Of such
clinics, presided over by experts with
no connection with either side of the
cases tried. will 60 long way toward
bringing ahout better conditions. Con-
eerning the so-called "alienist" and
mis- expert testimony" DR.. Salmon
says:
why supreme courts and courts of
the general sessions content them
selves with the so-cal,ed medico-legal
testimony of 'alienists' employed by
the district attorney and the defense
which is neither medical nor legal
remains mystery. The findings of
a psychiatric clinic. scientifically and
impartially conducted with the sole
purpose Of aiding the Judges in dispos.
ing Of human issues before them. have
more practical value than all the ex.
pert testimony that either side could
purchase with the proceeds Of liberty
loan"
Wide Field for Investigation.
Interesting especially Is the sugges.
ton by DR.. Salmon Of the possibilities
of finding out the deep seated causes
of anti-social conduct in the individual
through psychiatry. He says com.
paratively small element furnishes the
crime Of community and affords
field for scientific and impartial, un-
prejudiced study that Is rich and al.
nost virgin.
He thinks that this phase Of Grim.
inology has barely been scratched as
yet and believes 1t should be carried
far in an endeavor to trace to their
sources the original impulses for
crime, so that eventually remedies may
he found.
Prevention, rather than cure, is the
watchword OF the modern psychiatrist,
as it is of the modern physician, al.
though neither is inclined to neglect
the person VINO has fallen i'll. DIR.
Salmon emphasizes the need Of clinics
that may reach first offenders before
crime has become habit These, dis.
covering the sources of criminal i'm.
pulses and applying the proper
remedies, may restore many persons
of anti-social tendencies to society as
normal citizens, in the opinion Of DR..
Salmon.