Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-08
Doctors For The
Public Mind
BY Frederic J. Bnskin.

projected by social workers, and ia GER
tainly on. of tho most strikins Of re-
cent ideas In municipal ndnlniatrn-
| ton.
Washipeton's problems nrte tho prob
lema of other towns. The far-reach-
| Ing effects OF diseased minds are felt In
every community. But the diagnosis
| and treatment OF mental disturbances
are still largely in an experimental
stage. II In only recently that instf-
tutions for the insane have become hos
pitfalls as well an homes. And u is "a
sull more recent development that the
cities have begun to establish clinical
organizations 10 treat such diseases I'm
their less advanced stages.
These clinics have done pionesr work.
and already certain facts are recoR-
nized. a clinic here tres ted 400 people
during the past year, mostly ex-inmates
of institutions and children. II reports
that during tho year of tts existence. Of
numerous children brought to II from
the Juvenile court, not ono hae been
sent to the reform Hchonl~~~here they
treatment outlined Patients usually
tinued the practices for which they
were haied Into court
rho doctor I'm charge Of the uarns
AHeutai Ah EIHTe EAtftAt fEf0fUlH US bfHA
II is nm extremely rare occurrence mat
tho reason for anti-sociai or irrational
acts cannot be traced and corrective
treatment outlined Patients usually
make return tripa 20 the clinic, and the
clinio's social workers. last year made
1r00 visits 70 homes to see how the
patients were progressing This work
was chiefly with children.
fe 81 Ff fat IN lac %
of treatment In each case. because. after
time. the clinic almost always loses
eight of na old patients. and It can
only presume that they have not had
further trouble From encouraging re
nulta noted iu iarge percentage #
caaes during clinical supervision the
doctor in charge states an his belief
that could every child who. had unusual
or Troublesome traita be properly
treated Nv q peyrhtatriaf and have
tha proper environment for the rest n
ifa adolescence the pffrnhnr Of eases
eone into Iaiis and insane institutions
would be materially lessnned II ia
recognized thpt the ma iorifF nf men
tally Diseased adults had symptoms ~
an abnormal condition IN childhood n
is also true that children can be more
easily treated than adults They are
more readily guided away from the IN
heatthy thoughts ur aaaooia tinna and
the abnormal condition il thern Ia IN
! the majority 1f cases less deeply rooted
Scientists Favor Project.
The SUCCESS II such clinics a. this
| ana wor king IN aettiamenta and poorer
| districts. haa led TO the idea that the
/ treatment offered 10 q small part of tho
people should ba available to every
nne-thorefnre. The plan here for
| mental hygiene bureau
Ia " a White. superintendent ~
| - Elizabeth =. the Government hospi-
al far the insane i@ IN favor ~ the
| esta hlishment of the bureau So also
IL IN I,oherf Yerkea. author ~ the
| mental Intelligence tests used in the
Army Both of these men are on the
| committee for mental hygisne IN fact
al the alieniHfE doctors. and social
workers Of thu city. who arc Interested
IN nauth problems. advocate the
project
How the bureau would function ia At
present purely speculative There
might be central clinic for the entire
eity. though th4 suggestion has been
oppoHed on the grounds that people
would heaitsite - come for conHulta-
TIM II aEER NNBtfC E6iWtE. \ more
desirable plan from this point Of view
| II for number Of small clinics IN
different sections OF town.
\ mental hygiene board Of commits
sion would probably be organized r.
direct tho 1>1rk Of promoting mental
hygiene in the city. Such board
would conduct research 70 keep up with
the newest methods and discoveries. II
I tx4B4aIA 4sts - a.gff
more rational viewpoint toward mental
defects and disorders. And it would
work with schools and other inatitu-
tious to Diagnosis abnormal cases.
The scioutists warn Us not 10 mis-
understand the purpose Of this kind Of
bureau. There Is no idea Of hunting
| out people who are a riffer queer and
railroadins them into institutions. The
bureau Is to provide place where the
person who has some difficulty in ad-
justing himself TO life can Ko for treat
ment just he would go 20 a doctor
| IL he had a spraiued wrist. Such per
sons are numerous. and they include
many Of the most gifted and potentially
valuable types.
\ visit to such a clinic does not in
any sense imply insanity A limited
vocabulary leads people 10 call any
one who is eccentric. or has unusual
Ideas crazy. and by this careless use Of
words a stigma has been attached to
the possession of n mentality that does
not approximate he average standard
of mediocrity, when we realize that
a serius or an intelligent citizen in
no danger Of insanity may have a men
| tai problem no less than moron we
may bet a sane viewpoint of mental
| hygiene.
Mental Trouble No Disgrace.
There are all grades Of sanity and
| intelligence. and no one is In all
respects normal" Most people simply
manage to conform To their surround
ings sufficiently TO be inconspicuous
When an inability 10 adjust himself 70
| life becomes a weight on the mind OF an
individual he is a case for mental
hygiene clinic. His trouble may not
be serious and it may be easily over
come by psychoanalysis or by change
OF work or amusement Mental prob
| lens range from such comparatively
slight troubles as. persistent insomnia.
or an asouing fear Of some place
| or thing. To cases in which the per
sons viii power seems entirely par
alyzed.
There is an enormous amount of
mental unhealthiness of all degrees in
our midst, but practically no notice is
taken unless a case reaches a stage
tUhera II adNartfsas iteaIf This ia na RI