Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
HONOR SCIENTIST
4 ON ANNIVERSARY
Ivan PavIov Receives Many
Congratulations From Amer.
:. lea on 80th Birthday.
BY LEMUEL r. PARTON.
Hpseiai Dispatch to The star.


epseiai Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, September 28-Many
American scientists sent kilograms OF
congratulations to Ivan Pavlov, great
Russian scientist on the occasion of
the celebration OF his cightieth BIRTH
day anniversary at Leningrad on Fri
day. Soviet Russia nationally COM
memoratcd the event by appropriating
100000 rubles for Pavlov's laboratory
and by other official teachings as marks
Of recognition.
While the doctrine teachings of the
Russian state have fallen on deaf ears
in America, the occasion has served to
emphasize the fact that the two coun-
tries share an unStinted devotion TO
science, and PaVlov'S experiments and
discoveries have profoundly affected both
psychology and psychiatry in this
country.
This bacame of immediate and prac-
tical interest recently, after the prison
outbreaks at Dannemora and Auburn
and Leavenworth had directed attention
to the urgency of prison reform and
again brought crime conditions to the
front. Not only since, but before, thes9
events psychiatrists have been taking a
more and more important role in the
discussion Of court and prison reform,
anu pSyCuldCIy, dS II now Stduos' mas
been profoundly affected by Pavlovs
work on conditioned refleXes, which be-
gan nearly 80 years ago.
Contributes to Science.
The crime situation ana the psyche
pathic factors involved were important
Considerations of the recent 1nterna-
tional Congress OF Psychology at New
Haven, and it was then revealed that
L. so; ~II It,,,r, ArNI
working peacefully through all the up
heavals of his native land, had con-
tributed UNNECESSARILY in shaping psy-
chology into definite, objective science,
which may yet vastly lessen Jail pOpu-
lationS by reconditioning human beings.
In laying the foundations for be-
havioriStic psychology, which IS now
menacing If not routing the Freudian
hypothesis, Pavlov anticipated the work
of American scientists by many years
DR.. John B. Watson, formerly of Johns
Hopkins University, pioneered and
popularized behaviorism in this coun-
try. but 1t was Pavlovs work, of both
earlier and later date, which supplied
an experimental laboratory technique
for further research, which his en-
thusiastic followers believe will search
out the mainsprings Of human conduct
and provide the basis not only for a
new psychology, but new system Of
education.
The basis of Pavlov's work. and of
those who have amplified and inter-
preted it, is that reflex impulses may
be SO conditioned In early infancy that
they can be led into channels of
normaltty and that adequate and sue
cessful mentality and emotions can be
built up. The same physical basis is
provided for much more difficult but,
IN many cases, proven process of re-
conditioning in later years However,
the greater emphasis is on environ
mental factors from the moment of
birth. Unquestionably there is more
profound stirring in psychiatry and
psychology today than at any time in
the past. and there is worldwide inter-
est in Pavlov's laboratory, where the
Russian government has detoured traf-
nc, so that he may be undisturbed in
his work
Motion Picture Records. -
Pavlov was one of the first scientists
to use the moving picture to record
laboratory experiments It was about
two years ago that his picture, THE
Mechanics OF the Brain" was brought
to America. 1t covered many years of
experiments with animals and men,
and showed not only by pictures but by
animated drawings the mechanism ard
htA3CdClco VI tilE DEdIIl ulVOlVeQ III De-
havior processes. While much of this
was elementary in medical men, the
picture contained the essence of the
Pavlov technique and greatly stimu-
lated public interest in the problem Of
the potential control of behavior in
its bearing on crime.
It was about this time that the New
York Academy of Medicine was en-
barking on searching experiments:
studies in this field and the news of
Chicago's striking achievements in its
Municipal Court crime laboratory"
was getting before the country. Since
then New York City has moved to
establish a crime laboratory. Alfred z.
Smith has urged the sentencing of
criminals by a board of psychiatrists
and innumerable individuals and insti-
tutions have urged the introduction of
psychiatric methods in courts and
prisons.
Pavlov is not Communist and has
not hesitated to criticize the Soviets
when he felt like 1t. In this instance
science, as exemplified by this ascetic
old man, has moved calmly through
world turmoil to promise OF greater
triumphs.
Copyright, 1927