October 18, 1922.

# Memorandum on Fear.

It has been stated that the most developed mind is capable of the greatest amount of fear, but it also usually has self-controlled reasoning power to keep it balanced.

Do neurotics suffer more from fear than phlegmatic natures?

Can it be said that fear is an asset until it interferes with the enjoyment of life, that the minute fear prevents us from following the natural course of work and play it becomes a menace and should be controlled?

Will you discuss acute fears being traceable to shock in infancy and childhood. Fears which have become phobias are curable at what age and under what conditions?

Many questions come to me about the fears of high places and inclination to jump from high places. Is this phobia or are there two distinct phases? Is the fear of falling from a high place traceable to shock in infancy or childhood? A fall from a high chair? Is not a repeated warning by parents or nurse with the threat of injury if the child should fall, one of the causes of fear? Is the temptation to jump from high places a visual nervousness? Is it something which should be tampered with or should people who have it avoid high places? I have been told that many people thought to be suicides were only victims of this mental unbalance. What causes adults to fear riding in elevators? How can it be overcome?

Please discuss the nervousness about locking doors and the common fear both men and women have that they have not put the dog or cat out of the house or having locked the cat out of the room where the canary bird is. Are these fears indication of nervous strain? What should the woman who finds herself repeatedly going to see if she has locked the door do to overcome this nervousness? Does she need more rest and sleep and recreation? Is this a reaction from nerves and mental strain?

Is fear of water traceable to shock in infancy or childhood? Is it curable?

What causes the fear of old age? Is it, as Freud says, the sex complex? Is it more often found in women than in men?

Please discuss the fear of diseases, and of contact with unhealthy people, for instance men and women who develop a fear of handling money that has passed through other hands, a fear of opening mail, a fear of touching straps in subways, door knobs, or railings in public places. Freud says that this fear is so common in the Latin countries that in may theatres and opera houses they can afford to keep velvet covered bannisters.

Memorandum on Fear

Do you want the case of a noted educator of New England who, perfectly sane on other subjects, never shakes hands with anybody, never goes outside of his house without gloves on? Is it true that this is the explanation of Clemenceau's gloves? Isn't the root of most of these nervous affections some shocking case that has come to the attention of the patient?

You said that fear of failure in school caused most of the suicides among adolescent boys and girls. I think it might be helpful to touch on that.

Is the fear of darkness less common among normally brought up people? Will you discuss its effect upon the minds of growing children?

Will you explain the fear of crowded places and narrow passage- ways? Why is it and what can people do to overcome it?

Fear of the unknown should never be put into the minds of children.

Will you discuss the fear of death and how important it is to train the mind not to dwell upon that thought.

I think it would add to your article if you would explain some- thing of the two most dramatic cases of fear in brilliant minds, - Sir Isaac Newton and Herbert Spenser. Isaac Newton when he first began to contemplate space had such nervous fits he would sometimes scream with terror in the night. His family had a keeper for him and contemplated putting him in an asylum. Herbert Spenser had a fear that what he wrote was not his own work. Herbert Spenser's break came at thirty; Sir Isaac Newton's at 18. Does age have any effect upon this malady and is it curable?

The commonest fear of men is said to be the fear of their lack of courage? Is this true.

Will you also have something to say about the fear of mothers who always imagine that some terrible thing is going to happen to their children and the effect this has upon their nervous systems?

When Thomas Salmon was drowned last summer in Long Island Sound, a sorrow comparable in kind to that which a great national figure like Lincoln leaves behind was felt among all sorts and conditions of men and women. He was a great doctor, but he was also a great leader, one who, by force of conviction combined with a fine adjustment to his time changes a w hole period. We would take off our shoes and walk barefoot for him said a colleague, long before his death. From his sixfoot height, from his simple genial manner, his welcoming quietness, his dignity and modesty of bearing, he mystical blue eyes there breathed a strenght and selflessness, an inteelligance and vision that the most sceptical had to accept as genuine and compelling. Those who have decisions to take in the lost or unpolar causes for which he fought all his life, are sceptics. He is a professional doctor. His life, as a sceptic, is a mental patient's life, and his doctors are mental patients. Dr Salmon convinced them all, moved them all in the direction he felt they should move. He did not esteem greatness, in the sense of glory: he almost depised it, and made very light of the honors he himself achieved. But, as by some vow whispered in youth in the ear of earth, he seemed pledged to give all, to lay down nothing of those great resources of his, needed so badly by his fellow men. He knew their needs, and he looked into the future, but he wasted no time dreaming of impossible fruitions, because he also knew their limitations. Every day, every hour must and did yield its rich harvest or sow its slow seed.

Dr Haven Emersons suggestions about Dr Salmon

Veterans Bureau
In Washington after the war, working for the
soldiers, before became V.B while still War Risk Insurance. Worked
with Dr Wm Charles White, Mellons representative. White left everything
on the mental side to Salmon. Very last agreement of site etc deter-
mined by Salmon-where hospitals should be, what distance from centers,
from consultants etc.

But before this he had to teach the "federal authorities
that a bed was not just a bed, for a mental case, but needed services of
a special kind. Brought the same clarity and professional point of view
before committees of congress. Most dramatic time. Dawes was holding
hearings and whippersnapper congressman, lawyer, attacking "Salmon. Teddy
Roosevelt also there. This was prior to 1921., when the VB was being
established on a permanent basis. He stood innuendos and slings of a
most offensive personal nature imperturbably, never letting personal
feeling get in the way of his objective, deflect him from it. Sawyer
claimed to know more than S, but S gave indisputable facts, and then
Ireland flatly contradicted "lawyers statements. S always a crusader in a
cause he was sure of.

When V.B established spent days and nights on drafting board
Also personnel of the Psychiatric Hospitals was established by him
as in the AEF.

Terrible difficulties with professional and corrupt politicians
like Forbes. They were ruthless but he was undeflected from his purpose.
and largely triumphed.

2

Of book by Prof "XXXXXXXXXX" Leigh of Williams Public Health Administration in the United States-chapter on the Veterans Bureau things learned from British army and

A.E.F: He applied instantly in the XXXXXXXXXXXA.E.F what he had learned in New York City, which he knew backwards and forwards. N.Y has same number of men as in the war (2 millions of six in army. Not sure of it is analogy) Same problems of character, discipline emotional difficulties due to separation from families (immigrants separated from families equal war socially) Soldier who XXXXXXXXXXX has mental difficulties needs somebody to stand between him and unintelligent disciplinary judges, as immigrant does in courts. First aid we established dressing stations at the front line for wounded minds, which functioned just as perfectly as for wounded leg. Talked to innumerable soldiers himself, sent them back, knew just which ones must go back and which not.

Story of Sam and Jack driving ammunition trains under fire in St Mihiel XXXXfighting. Sam comes back one night hysterical, all to pieces. completely gone. He knows will never recover if sent back. Tries to think what can say to pull him together. "Sam, do you know Jack will have go alone through that fire tomorrow if you don't go". Sam immediately pulls self together, says of course he will go.

Through this period he showed great power, mastery of technique of war, but always an objective of soldierSelection of men greatest individual contribution-he picked people who were capable of doing a thing they never had done. If man doubtful, he stood back of him. Nobody ever went back on him.

Dr Edward L Keyes. 121 East 60th St [legent 2608], worked with him in war, venereal disease specialist. He also up at the front, like S. the consultants lived together at Eufchateau. K is a Catholic a Jesuit.

Dr Darragh, Dean P and S-a surgeon. Worked with Salmon, 437 West 59

Columbus 9511

3

General Ireland, General Walter McGaw were Dr Salmons chiefs in rep
army. Write to them. also Col Wadhams, of medical staff
S was strikingly at home in army method, - as much so as any army
officer-never made a misstep, in spite of many innovations.
Everything went perfectly smoothly and also synchronously

objective attained by forethought, instead of by sequence.

Part of success here due to experience in Public Health Service.

Wm H Wadhams-call Dr 'eynolds('cademy of medicine') adn ask about
Wadhams address.

Write and ask the officers if could give features of his success as
army
an officer in France.

**Public Health Service** - very much persona non grata. Would not play in with Southerners-narrow group, absolutely different in training, politicians. Obtained many of his aims but with difficulty and unpopularity.

Dr Claude Lavender(PHService)US Shipping Board might tell soemthing if he would-might not.

Mental Hygiene Board. Designed because financed by Rockefeller money and the Rs will not go agin the government-he had to take a more active and free part.

Was he a great doctor? Yes, not a great scientist, but a great human being. Greatness consisted in his ability to project sensitive facts of science of mental health into social consciousness and order. He conceived how these difficulties could be halted by social action. He was sure of his results, and they proved up.

4

In any group or committe he was the most silent in the group. Always
drawing with his left hand, complicated patterns and shadings while
thinking what both true and wise, timely and appropriate to say. Dr
Emerson contrasted this with his greater impulsiveness and lack of kax
inadvisedly
tact, in coming out with the truth or right he admired Dr Almons
greater selfcontrol, "as it that or intuition of what would be
appropriate?

He made an initial and lasting impression in forcing recognition
of social responsibility for damaged lives.

Command of statistical method-ease in its use. At home with
figures
figures used xx simply and with effectiveness.

His physical difficulties-had tuberculosis of the spine in youth
Had to wear a plaster jacket-returned to it from time to time, under
uniform.

No brain lesion found. This not to be given out. Dr E talked himself with Winternitz who performed autopsy. Dr Es hypothesis that dx dx ko
neuralgia due to some source of infection-that he fainted with pain
Emerson
and fell, overboard. Absolutely repudiated idea of suicide. Pain was
a functional thing. Migraines.

Slow in his mental processes in his movements-or, better, deliberate.
But his intuition was immediate and his action followed steadily
upon his thoughts.

He was not great to fulfil some inward need of glory-he did not esteem glory, almost despised it.

He looked carefully into the future but he wasted no time dreaming
about impossible fruitions.

Faith in men and in the life of his time.

Love, Christlike love of the poor in spirit.

He had above all the power to heal, and it came through love.

A key man: one of those apparently normal human beings made just like
everybody else, simple strong practical unassuming, uncritical in a censorious,
cheerful, humorous, who by sheer force of personality and conviction
change an epoch.

He gave a comfort which more shadowed and subtle spirits could never give, even with greater depth intellectual grasp. Some fundamental simplicity and loyalty which he called forth and gave.

Let his peculiar sympathy went not to the cheerful but to the shadowed
aid that the sick member of the family was always the nicest and
most sensitive one.

He did not begin to practise in the field of psychiatry—he arrived
there because this cinderella of medicine needed more than any other
brach his peculiar sympathy and power of devotion for the underdog.
the distressed. Three fourths of patients depressed.