The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-03-28
ANHEDONIA AMERICANA

Prey, be seated. am not an.
nouncing discovery of a new disease,
tho I might consider an offer for
trial court rights-say fifty-fifty with
the lawyer II he gets his client off. No,
1t IS contrary to my egregtous princi-
pies to trump up new maladies Tor
people who are tired Of the old COM
plants. Rather I do what I can to
relieve them of the more baneful tic.
titious ailments. Haven't made Bit
ter enemies everywhere by proclaim.
ing at all times and ct peril Of being
branded unsympatheic, low-life and
hard boiled, that there = no such
states as "neurasthenia," nervous
breakdown" or nervous exhaustion?
Has the loss Of many good customers
made me abate one jit or tottle -.
well, readers know what I teach about
rheumatism. hydro-phobia, autointox-
ication, the common cold, and what I
used to teach about marking babies
in the days before B. G.
All Of these worries vary inversely
with the intelligence Of the people,
for example alleged "colds" and ba-
bies mean the marking
Of babies.
Quite seriously believe the I. Q. Of
people who have babies Is considerably
higher than that Of people who don't.
And I am allowing something for the
fact that people who seek B. @. advice
are younger and have had less educa-
ton than people who have had child
training courses in the University OF
Real Life. Remember, all I know Is
what I read in the letters (a) from
those who have no babies and want
EN-, Cd from those who have babies
and want to keep 'em well, and Co
from those who don't want EN-.
Now don't 60 away mad. Believe
it or not, have too much sympathy
for the wrong guy, the under dog,
the snake, the culprit, the fugitive.
the sucker, the dupe, the victim OF
chicanery or injustice. Often I'm
ashamed Of myself and the attitude
or the conduct this wretched trait
leads me into. Many q time I have
suffered great embarrassment trying
to conceal the sobs or keep back the
tears at the cruel plight Of some un-
lucky child or maybe little mother
to whom I rendered casual first aid.
Isn't 1t true that the dog that does
so much barking Is generally gentle,
good-natured fellow when you come
to know him?
This anhedonia Americana is not
new disorder Of the mind. It is
just a handful Of horsefeathers I
tossed up to get your attention. At
that there Is something characteristic
'cally American about anhedonia. don't
you think so7 Go on. you don't even
know what. anhedonia means. I'd like
to wager five to one with every indi-
vidual in any gathering In the coun-
try, taken unawares, that he or she
could not tell me what anhedonia
means. (And the dictionary publish
ers have never sent me . copy for re-
view, eithsr.)
We are approaching the dead line
50 / had better explain here that
auhedonia Is iucapacity for happiness,
inability to enjoy life. believe .
psychologist first proposed the name,
but what Is . psychologist A psyche.
logi& = person who starts out to b.
come . psychologist but picks up .
few imposing terms like inferiority
complex and repressed memories and
turns to writing magazine articles and
books on why We Behave &c."
More about Anhedonia later.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Registering - Dlood Donor
] am thinking Of registering .
hood donor. WIN these transfud0ns
affect my health when ! get older3
How much time should be between
transfusions3 What amount Of blood
-. q. W. =, Jr.)
COMPLETE instructions and