The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-08
Frederic Haskin's Letter
teDsAA osss0ssAao q - Arsml
Doctors for the Public Mind.

search to keep up with the ,.-
methods and discoveries. II w",s
try to educate the people to a r
rational viewpoint toward my.
defects and disorders. And II von,4
work with schools and other ;rs..
tutions to diagnose abnormal c... a'
The scientists warn n, M.
misunderstood the purpose ~ W.
kind of bureau. There is mo a., sSu
OF hunting out people who A.
trihe queer and railroading fh..
into institutions. The bureau = !.
provide a place where a person ~
has some difficulty in adiust,ss.
himself to life can go for treatmsass
Just as he would go to a doctor !.
he had a sprained wrist Such ~,
sons are numerous, and thew !.
clude many Of the most gifted ana
potentially valuable types u
A visit to such a clinic does ~.
IN any sense imply insanity
limited vocabulary leads peoni. "a
call anyone who is eccentric ~
has unusual ideas. crazy, and h,
this careless use of words a sti,w.
has been attached to the poss.s
sion of a mentality that does n.
approximate the average stasda,S
of mediocrity. When We reaN,.
that genius or an intelligent citi
zen is in NO danger Of insanity ma,
have q mental problem no less th,s
. moron we may Get a sane Mn.
point Of mnetal hygiene.
Mental Trouble No Diseasa
There are all grades Of sanity AMI
intelligence, and no one is in an
respects normal" Most peonIs
simply manage to conform to their
surroundings sufficiently to b. In
conspicuous. When an inability Ia
adjust himself to life becomes a
weight on the mind Of an indiyid.
ual he is q case for a mental nv.
giene clinic. His trouble NAV not
be serious and 1t may be easily
overcome by phychoanalysis or BY
a change Of work or amusement
Mental problems range from such
comparatively slight troubles a
persistent insomnia, or an unrea-
soning fear of some place or thing.
to cases in which the persons viii
power seems entirely paralyxed.
There is An enormous amount Of
mental unhealthiness of all degrees
in our midst, but practically no no
tice is taken unless a case reaches
a stage where it advertises itself.
This is partly for the reason, al
ready mentioned, that stigma has
unfortunately been attached to the
possession OF a mind that varies
from what people call normal. The
other reason why more people who
ale affected by mental troubles do
not consult an expert is that they
do not know where to find one.
The doctor at a mental hygiene
clinic here tells us that the gen.
eral medical practitioner is inclin-
ed to put mental troubles into two
classes-those that are imaginary
or that are minor symptoms Of
physical disorder. and those that
are obviously serious enough to be
diagnosed by an alienist.
Mental Clinics Increase.
All the large cities, however,
maintain mental clinics, and there
are generally also psychiatrists
who diagnose and treat mental dis
ease. The same doctor impresseS
upon us the fact that the name
"psychiatrist" or some other i'm
pressive title cannot be taken in
itself as a sign of competence. He
! advises that no one should consult
any practitioner for mental advice
without first ascertaining whether
the doctor in question is a member
OF the local medical society. In
large city there is also general!
a society of doctors of nervous AMI
mental diseases. and if there ii
such local organization. the psac
titioner should be checked up there
That mental diseases can b.
traced back either to living condi
tons or to a bodily disorder. ant
that they can be successfully treat
ed, are still new ideas to man.
people. The mental hygiene move
ment is dated from the publication
in 1908. Of Clifford Beers "A Min
That Found ITSELF" in which b
wildly described his experience Il
New England hospitals for the in
sane. His plea for more intelli
| gent and humane treatment o
mental patients resulted within
year in the formation of nationa
committee for mental hygiene an
a Connecticut Society for Menta
Hygiene, and there are now Is sim
liar organizations working in Oil
ferent states.