Evening star., 1937-05-05
CH|[D'S LEARNING
CAN Be PARALYzED
Medical Society of District
Told of Retreat CON-
pIex Caused by Fear.
By THOMAS R. HENRY.

An intelligence paralysis in children
was reported to the Medical Society
of the District of Columbia at its an
nual scientific assembly today by DR..
Agnes Greig, child psychiatrist.
1t Stimulates actual feeble minded
ness, she said. The child is unable to
learn. Standard intelligence tests,
even when administered by an expert,
show poor capacities
But, DR.. Greig said, these manifesto
tipns should not be taken at their face
value, especially if they are out OF
keeping with the previous records of
the victim. Ever an exceptionally good
intelligence may be paralyzed. espe-
ctally when the child first goes TO
school.
This paralysis, she said, appears to
result from confusion and fear.
Intelligence tests" she stressed,
are very valuable if we accept them
Tor what they are worth and do not
endow them with magical qualities.
They tell us the childs functioning
Intelligence, but not his potential in
tenieence"
1CdSHcTS hlSunQcTSLdnO,
Even the most intelligent teacher
VINO knows a good deal about the
effects of emotional conflicts in the
child is apt to misapprehend such a
child, DR.. Greig said She thinks he
can't keep his mind on his lessons
because OF distractions elsewhere and
may deal quite gently with him. She
falls to appreciate that he may be
thinking Of nothing but his lessons
and trying his best to learn, but that
the mind simply will not function.
such a state of paralysis" she said,
IS not infrequently present in the
child at the beginning of his school
career. The cause can invariably be
traced back to fear of lack within
himself to cope with the situation in
hand. He may be likened to the turtle
who at the first sign of danger draws
back into his shell and will venture
forth only when the threat seems
removed We realize that no amounts
OF threats or prodding will bring him
forth, but with children We do just
that.
'Chlldhood Is strenuous battle.
From the beginning the child is forced
to defer and modify the qualification
OF lnstinctual needs, and each new ad-
Justment is frought with anxiety.
Much creative impulse must be
checked by this anxiety, as creative
freedom can exist only in an atmos-
phere of peace. Any new venture is
met with this anxiety If it is not too
great and one ventures cautiously, and
meets with success and approval, there
is great release Of energies. If one
meets with failure and disfavor one re-
treats.
Past Success Holds Over.
when the individual has met with
a reasonable measure of success he
can stand more failures because he
has the supporting force of the past
success, But the child has not had
time to build up past. Total defeat
robs him of the vital force necessary
Tor success.
gS"'Our competitive mode of life tends
to make US measure children by
common yardstick. The tangible in
tellectual abilities are made the cri-
ter1on and the intelligence tests which
were designed to aid in grouping chill
dren to their own advantage are
commonly made to cover the total
personality. with a fine disregard for
emotional values"
DR.. Greig presented the case his
tories Of two Washington children who
were victims of this intellectual paraly-
sis. In one case even the boys father
was convinced that he was feeble
minded and only loving mothers re-
fusal to believe in the face of all the
evidence finally led to saving nor
mally intelligent child from this stig-
ma of inferiority throughout his
school days
The 80 hospitals with a total of
nearly $4,000 beds maintained
Throughout the country by the Vet
erans' Administration constitute the
gravest threat of State medicine Of
anything on the horizon" DR.. Arthur
c.. Christie told members of the So
ciety. Last year, he pointed out,
about 80 per cent of all ailments
treated free by the Government at
these hospitals did not originate in
war service. Bills calling for four
more large veterans hospitals now
are before Congress, he said.
Health Insurance Opposed.
e. DR.. Christie also opposed systems of
health insurance, either compulsory
or voluntary. Due to an economic
fauacy, he said, the latter cannot work
and eventually have to be supported
by the State. He warned that there
IS now a strong movement to organize
SUCH voluntary insurance system in
the Government departments here.
economically sound insurance he
said, is possible only against events
that happen with relative infrequency.
which are OF major Importance and
whose rate of occurrence can be ex-
acuy calculated. Sickness is fire.
quent, usually trivial, and there are
no adequate tables for its prediction.
Consequently. he said, this sort of in
surance Is bound to fail without a
subsidy and this leads to compulsion
OF employees, contract medicine and
inefficient service.
Private physicians, he stressed, are
making an enormous charitable con-
tribution to the District of Columbia.
Few realize, he said. that the actual
medical care of all the inmates of
Gallinger Hospital, of the ward pa
tients in the community hospitals and
of all the thousands of attendants at
free clinics is given absolutely with
out charge by the physicians Of
Washington. The home care of the
INDECENT sick is on still less satisfac-
tory basis. For the most part the
poor in their homes are cared for by
private physicians without charge"
Direct observation OF the blood YES
sells in the retina of the eye as a
means Of detecting diseases Of the cir
culatory system was described by DR..
Benjamin Bones.
The physician is able to look through