Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-04-01
FOR THE PUBLIC Mind
Bureau OF Mental Hygiene Will Look
After Mental Health.
FOR TREATMENT OF DISEASED Minds
Enormous Amount of Mental Un-
healthiness Everywhere--There are
All Gpades Of Sanity and 1nteIIi,
dence
By Frederick J. Haskia.


gence.
By Frederick J..Haskin.
Washington, D. c., March 10-A
bureau Of mental hygiene for. the city
Of Washington, which will look after
the mental health of the citizens, just
as the present health department looks
after their physical well-being, is
now being projected by social workers,
and is certainly one Of the most strik-
ing and recent ideas in municipal ad-
ministration.
Washington's problems are the prob
lens Of other towns. The reach
ing effects of diseased mind are felt in
every community. But the diagnosis
and treatment Of mental disturbances
are still largely in an experimental
stage. 1t is only recently that insti-
tutions for the insane have become
hospitals as well as homes. And 1t is
still more recent development that
the cities have begun to establish
clinical organizations to treat such di-
seases in their less advanced stages.
These clinics have done pioneer
work, and already certain facts are
recognized. A clinic here treated 300
people during the past year, mostly
eliminates of institutions and chill
dren. It reports that during the year
of it's existence, of numerous children
brought to it from the juvenile court,
not one has been sent to the reform
school-where they might have been
put had they continued the practices
for which they were hailed into court
The doctor in charge of this same
mental hygiene clinic informs us that
it is an extremely rare occurrence that
the reason for anti-social or irrational
acts cannot be traced and corrective
treatment outlined Patients usually
make return trips to the clinic, and
the clinics social workers last year
made $500 visits to homes to see how
the patients were progressing. This
work was chiefly with children.
It is hard to tabulate lasting results
of treatment in each case, because af-
ter time, the clinic almost always
loses sight Of it's oldF patients, and it
can only presume that they have not
had further trouble. From encourag-
ing results noted in large percentage
Of cases during clinical supervisor the
doctor in charge states as his belief
that could every child who had un-
usual or troublesome traits, be prop
erly treated by n psychiatrist and have
the proper environment for the rest OF
it's adolescence the. number of cases
going into jails and insane institutions
would be materially. lessened. 1t is
recognized that the majority of men,
tally diseased adults had symptoms
of an abnormal condition in childhood.
1t is also true that children can be
more easily treated than adults. They
are more readily guided away from
the unhealthy thoughts or associa-
tions, and the abnormal condition in
them is in the majority of cases less
deeply rooted.
Scientists Favor Project.
The success of such clinics as this
one, working in settlements and poor
er districts, had led to the idea that
the treatment offered to q small part
of the people should be available to
reryone-therefore. the plan here for
Il mental hygiene bureau.
DR.. w. A. White, superintendent OF
st. Elzabeth's, the government hos
pital for the insane, is in favor of the
establishment Of the bureau. So, also,
is DR.. Robert Yerlles, author Of the
mental intelligence tests used in the
army. Both of these men are on the
committee for mental hygiene. In fact
all the alicnists, doctors, and social
workers Of the city, who are interest
ed in mental problems, advocate the
project.
How the bureau would function is
at present purely speculative. There
might be a central leclinic for the en-
tire city. though this suggestion has
been opposed on the grounds that
people would hesitate to come for q
consultation to a, large public clinic. A
more desirable plan from this point of
view is for a number Of small clinics
in different sections Of town.
\ mental hygiene board or COM
mission would probably be organized
TO direct the work of promoting men,
tai hygiene in the city. Such q board
would conduct research to keep up
with the newest methods and discoy-
cries. It would try to educate the
public 10 4 more rational viewpoint
toward mental defects and disorders.
And it would work with schools and
other institutions to diagnose abnor-
NAL cases.
turned inJo an elephant an lhat he
was gOim' like Sam Hill, an that
was hitched 10 him and Couldn't lei
90 Once in q while he'd stop TN