Evening star., 1926-09-28
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
THE DOCTOR LOOKS AT LOVE
AMI LIFE Iooonh Collins.
/. G.. M.

THE DOCTOR LOOKS AT LOVE
AND LIFE. Joseph Collins.
George HI. Doran Company.
The Doctor" looks at life sQuarely.
He reports it straight. Such is the
moral and intellectual habit of this
writer. Whether he is dealing with
| human existence at first hand or
by way of it's reflection in literature,
the method remains the same. Such
attitude, such disclosure by compe-
tent authority, ought to produce re-
suits Illuminating and useful to all.
They do.
BY this time we have learned that
Joseph Collins is a physician. a spe-
cialist in nerve disorders. The most
of us, however, know him as writer,
specially keen analyst of literature,
an interpreter independent in out
leok, original in method. Here is
one of the truly helpful critics of
current literature, one of the still
| fewer really interesting ones.
| For third Of a century DR.. Collins
has, as specialist in diseased
nerves, delved into the deep hidden
| life of many an afflicted individual,
seeking the source of bodily ailment,
the source of a disastrous and often
tragic maladjustment to the external
life. Writing came, 1t seems. as a
natural sequence of this prolonged
and intensive investigation. The two
professions have run together in legiti-
mate kinship. For it turns out, on
the word of the scientist, that no one,
practically, conforms to a perfect hu-
man norm. Everybody is. in effect,
something Of a variant from this, or
possesses some degree Of abnormality.
Therefore, the trained and continuous
study of those who are clearly vic
Tins Of degrees and kinds of nervous
arrangement serves to equip such
specialists for truly important views
upon human life itself.
DR.. Collins says that he has been
repeatedly urged to tell the truth
about the human as this has emerged
from his long experience, Ito tell the
| truth about sex" in particular He
calls this large order, saying that
nobody knows the whole truth about
this matter and that If he did know
it he would not be allowed to tell it.
Church, convention and commerce
do not want it and will not have it.
| Were I to tell as much of the truth
as 1 know about it. society would
frown upon me, postal authorities
would forbid me. some self-constituted
censor would hale me before a tri-
bunal. and were l dependent upon
patients for livelihood, want would
stare me in the face
| In this book, however, from his
high advantage point of study and
experience with wrecked and near
wrecked nerves, the Doctor does pre-
sent certain facts and out of these
| he does urge upon parents certain
lines of education for children. Plain
physiological truths are set out here.
Plain ways of meeting and directing
the emotional life of children are
given-all to the end that individual
| happiness may be increased and that
humanity itself may advance, instead
of going round and round in endless
generations of Illustration and ulti'
mate defeat. But nobody is going to
listen to the Doctor at this point.
Parents never in the world will fol
low his instruction and advice, vital
as both are They are too ashamed
| of themselves. too shut in upon a
modesty that is positively indecent in
implication, too timid, too self-con-
Scious.
adult Infantilism'' is a chapter of
special significance to readers of this
volume, since it is a direct charge
against us, both as individuals and
as a Nation. This term indicates the
condition of an individual who. "hav
ing reached maturity of physical de
velopment, remains infantile in his
responses to the demands and obliga
tions of life Such infantility may
be physical, as with the dwarf. II
may be intellectual, as with the
moron. Emotional infantility is not
so obvious. Therefore it is less cas-
lily appraised and met, more danger
Gus in its effects. The emotions .are
the handspring Of action and behavior
When these have remained in the
condition of childhood, the delinquent
in this respect is. like a child, fitfu
and erratic, not able to carry q thing
to its logical conclusion. He loves
praise and hates blame, as the chilt
does. He brags and boasts as chill
dren do. He hates solitude as they
do. Applied to the Nation, adult in
fantilism accounts for the self-satis
faction with which we hold aloof from
the affairs of other nations, and fol
that self-esteem which leads us tC
believe in the superiority of our in
|
our conduct. 1t is the basis of oul
determination to regulate mans con
duct by legislation-to say what he
shall not teach and what he shall
not drink. We have more colleges
and universities than any other coun
try in the world, and vet we are the
worst educated, the least cultured
We have more churches, chapels apt
civic centers than any country o.
Europe, yet we are Swayed by re
ligious prejudice that transcends tn,
understanding of Europeans. w,
have a climate that has no equal, ye
we flee from it as though its atmos
l-phere were mephitic. We have com
forts that kings might consider luxu
ries. yet 1t is real punishment for u:
to stay at home: we have wealth anC
occupation, but little of that peace O.
mind surprising wealth which tn,
sage finds in meditation"
why? Because so many of u.
are emotionally infantile.'
1T is when we are abroad and con
fronted with men and women of Other
and, older nations that our childish
ness is most conspicuous; our wi
seems banal, our conversation trivial
our conduct herdish, our thought.
superficial. Our aim is to be seen anC
heard and envied. Who has not seer
Americans in the smoking room Of
ocean liners, in cafes of Ritz hotels
in Maxims. or at Monte Carlo. actins
like schoolboys at their first party
How strait-laced an American cap
tain Of industry can be at home, how
loose-laced abroad, Hence our repu
tation for naivete and credulity
Europeans tell us we are clever anC
resourceful, but they tell one another
that we are childish. Would any on,
who has the intuition and discern
ment that M. Caillaux Is reputed t.
have comport himself as he did II
Washington in October, 1925, If h,
were not convinced that we ar,
babes?" There is much much NOR,
| of this in ax.idoroa tl,,t