Evening star., 1948-09-28
By George Beveridee

Sex isn't as important as many
psychiatrists think, and many OF
their currently popular child-train-
ing theories are obviously PSYCHE
atric nonsense"
This is the opinion of DR.. c. G.
Burlingame, chief psycha trist anc
president of the Hartford Institute
of Living, who aired it today at the
second session of the three-day Dis
trict Medical Society Scientific As
sembly in the Hotel Statler.
Il disagree most heartily with
those who would interpret sex as the
whole of life and expand the def1ni-
ton accordingly, he said, suggesting
that the time has come for psychi-
artists to separate theories and facts
Another current trend that bears
closer look, he went on, is toward
training theories that advocate
everything from allowing child to
be free to express himself in any
way he sees fit" to strict training
in martinez fashion" The "love
starvation school" falls into the
same class of "psychiatric non
sense" the doctor added.
Slip "Fractures Future"
Proponents of this school," he
said, would have us running along
dripping love all over the place
until the child slips and fractures
his future
Happily" however, DR.. Burlin-
game said, such "psychiatric flights
of fancy ARE deplored by most
psychiatrists, who don't choose to
"f1aunt their wing in the rariffed air
of pSychiatric aviation.
A responsibility doctors have failed
to meet is the fact that weaknesses
in the personalities of their patients
actually can cause illness, DR.. O..
Spurgeon English, professor Of pSy-
chiatry at Temple University, said
in another talk.
"Neurosis" Carries Stigma.
In the public mind, the word "neu-
rosis" still carries something of
stigma, DR.. English said, and people
are reluctant to admit anything
could be wrong with their emotional
ability to meet the strains of present
day life.
One of the main reasons this situ-
alton exists, DR.. English said, is that
doctors have neglected to apply SIM
pie psychiatric principles in dealing
with their patients. Responsibility
rests primarily with physicians, he
added, ito help their patients learn
to live more completely and salts
factorily."
In another address on Adjust
ment to Age" DR.. Wingate M.
Johnson of the Bowman Gray Med
ical School, Winston-Salem, N. c.,
warned that, unless present retire.
ment policies change, as many
people will be on pension rolls as
are working by 1910. The increasing
life span, he said, is the reason.
To Discuss Arthritis.
After hearing luncheon address on
Frontiers of Industrial Medicine"
by Mary Donlon, New York COM
missioner of Workmen's comDensa-
ton, doctors attending the assembly
will hear scientific discussions of
chest injuIies, arthritis and the
study and treatment of fractures.
Morgan Beatty, radio commenta-
tor, will address the society's an
nual dinner tonight.
Meanwhile, challenge to the way
American mothers are bringing up
the younger generation was passed
on to doctors yesterday by DR.. WI
liam F. Burdick in talk on Newer
Concepts of Infant Feeding"
In the first place, most mothers
"burp' their babies too often.
DR.. Burdick's advice is never to
"burp' him until he finishes his bot
tie. Then, if he wants to, let him
go to sleep without a severe back
pounding. If he needs a "burp,
he'll let you know.
Secondly, mothers can make just
as big a mistake holding baby to
rigid feeding schedule as by feed
ing him every time he sticks his fist
in his mouth. Somewhere in be-
tween, Dr.. Burdick said, is the an
SWer.
In bit of advice to those who
would lose a few pounds, DR.. Joseph