Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-06

is replacing the body OF man in de-
veloping the great world decisions.
Judgment and the use of intellect must
replace anger and the use of emotions.
DR.. William A. White. superintendent
of st. Elizabeth's Hospital and presi-
dent Of the congress, presided at the
international dinner. Other speakers
were DR.. Frankwood E. Williams, chair
man of the program committee, and
Clifford w. Beers, secretary general of
the congress.
DR.. White will deliver his presidential
address at the first of the public mass
meetings OF the congress, which will be
held tonight at Constitution Hall. Other
speakers will be Dr. Arthur H. Ruggles.
the Rev. Arson Phelps Stokes and
Secretary General Beers. DR.. William
II: WEIGH of Johns Hopkins University
will preside.
Epilepsy Causes Explained.
Both alcohol and water were blamed
as causes of epilepsy by speakers before
the section on convulsive disorders of
the American Psychiatric Society yes
terday.
Commissions can be produced In any,
body, said DR.. N. w. Winkleman of
Philadelphia, by putting enough water
into the body. This can be done with
a stomach tube or by injection. Con-
versely, epileptic' seizures often can be
ton Of the body through dieting and
ether means.
Excess of fluid in the brain cavity,
he said. may result from injuries suf-
fered at BIRTH Some times. he said. q
newborn child will not start to breathe
for as much as 20 minutes and when
respiration finally is started the doctor
boasts that he has brought the infant
to life after 1t has been dead. But this
period of being dead" he said, often
causes changes in the brain which never
can be overcome and later result in
commissions.
The unjustified reputation Of the
epileptic as a criminal was denounced
by DR.. Douglas A. Thorn of Boston.
There is a popular idea, he pointed out,
that the victim of this dreaded brain
disease is likely to commit crimes of
violence, In intervals between convul-
prisons, he said, showed an extremely
small number Of epileptics and most OF
these were in custody for minor offenses
which had nothing to do with their
mental condition. In only two cases
1ad they attacked anybody.
Neither does epilepsy mean mental
deterioration, he said, and pointed out
hat those in institutions do not repre-
sent a fair cross section of the victims
rs q whole.
Opposes Social Stigma.
DR.. Thorn pleaded for the removal Of
the social stigma from the epileptic.
He also cited evidence that these con-
vulsions may have an emotional as
well as physical basis, sometimes buried
deep below consciousness. Convulsive
attacks. he said, often can be shown to
follow experiences which move the emo
ton. He cited out the case of soldier
who suffered three convulSions-one
when his organization was dedicating
q city square to the memory of a fallen
comrade, one when he found he could
not get a job he wanted, and one when
he was notified that his compensation
had been allowed by the Veterans Blu
reau. The emotional causes, he said,
are often very near the surface Of con-
seriousness and can be explained to the
patient with good results.
Starvation for several days some
times produces great improvement in
epileptic patients, said DR.. Edward M.
Bridge of Baltimore. The actual effect,
he pointed out, was to make the body
live of the accumulated fat and muscle
and a reduction Of the fluid content of
the body. thus bring about the dehydra-
ton advocated by DR.. Winkleman
The effect of alcohol was stressed by
DR.. Ludwig Puusepp, professor of psy-
chiatry at the University Of Tartu and
official delegate of the Esthonian gov
eminent. He described experiments
with rabbits in which quantities Of al
cohol were administered. Their offspring
showed q hydrocephalic condition re-
lated to epilepsy. This indicates, he
said, that epilepsy is likely to appear
among the children of alcoholics.
Increased interest in mental hygiene
In many countries was reported by dele
gates at the first open session of the
congress yesterday afternoon with DR..
Frankwood E. Williams presiding.
Canadian Program Launched.
Canada, said DR.. C. M. Hincks, has
started an extensive program supported
by the government. by which 1000
children are to be kept under daily
observation for 20 years. Institutes
are being held for instruction of parents
in child guidance.
Delirium tremens is SO rare in Den
mark, said Prof. August WINNER, that
he has been unable to find q case TO
demonstrate to his pupils. Other dele
gates reported from Brazil, Ecuador,
Finland, France, Germany, Esthonia
and Belgium.