Association, will head the committe: which will include, two lawyers, one Chinese and the ollier foreign, ieadpsychiatrists, laymen interested in ameliorating conditions, and the author of the proposal.
Dr. Halpern, slim, energetic and intensely serious about present conditions, says there are thousands and thousands of insane people in China who are not recei ment.
Ing conditions remedied.
Her proposal, as accepted by the medical association primarily is form a committee, the members which will make a thorough study of present problems in China, elaborate a systematically planned programme for action on these problems, transmit the programme to the Chinese Mediea} Association for approval, and execu-tin in ce-operation withthe govers-
The Problem in Sum The problems in question, as seen bby Dr. Halpern, are the education and training of nursing students in psy-chia try, the facilities for post-graduate courses in medical psychology and peyehotherapy for physicians, the establishment of psychiatric institu tions with the purpose of changing the "asylum-type" to a real hospital for mental diseases, proper child guidance, special courses in psychology and curative pedagogics for tea chers and educators, parents' clinics, [schools for feeble-minded and prob-Tem children, psychiatric social workers, psyeotherapy clinics and legislation governing admission and the discharge of patients of mental hospitals, psychiatric expert evidence in court and a civil code and a penal code in relation to insanity "and Psychic aberrations. trained people in psychiatry is far too] small for China when the great number of citizens who must spend some' part of their lives in institutions for the insane Is taken into consideration.
'But, says Dr. Halpern, not until the service of a mental hospital in China comes to be regarded as professionally equal in importance to the service of every other branch of medicine, will, fundamental progress be made. tu' wards a {rue solution of the problem.
Dr. Halpern goes on to explain that psychiatry in its broader sense does Rot only concern the treatment and Jeare of the insane but also takes into consideration the development of per sonalities as well as the emotional flabilization of the human mind in the attempt to correct mental capacities, misbehaviour and discontent.
We must not forget," she said, "that now we are living in a very sick world and that the strain and stress upon nations and upon the single individual may too easily cause mental breakdown."
Training Parents and Teachers 'Aware that the character of man becomes formed in his childhood and Is dependent on the psychological and' pedagogical ability of his parents and educators, Dr. Halpern suggests pre-_ per child guidance for China under; medical supervision. She urges the establishment. of parents' clinics 0 Introduce special psychological courses for teachers and educators and th: creation of special schools for feeble-minded, neurotic. and problem children.
To solve the problem of mental fnealth for adults, Dr. Halpern suggests the training of psychiatric 20- Slal-workers who would be prepared and capable enough to assist all thes legions of discouraged, disappointed, unstable and drug-addicted people.
She also emphasizes the need for better legislative status relating to insanity. At the present time psychiatrists often encounter problems! which would be better settled by law.
Dr. Halpern came to China two years ago from Vienna at the roques! of the Chinese Government. During the short time she has been here she has done much in the neurology field and has been instrumental in the founding of China's one and only mental hospital, the Shanghai Mercy Hospital for Nervous Diseases near)Minghong which was established through the efforts of Mr. Lo Pa-hong!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.