88 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [vol. xv, 



(3) That rooms numbered 5 and 6 in building for psychology shall be designated for psychiatric examining. 



(4) That the name, rank, and organization of individuals receiving the grade E in group psychological examination 

 shall be reported promptly to the division psychiatrist through the division surgeon. 



(5) That report of individual psychological examination shall be accepted by psychiatrist as part of the medical 

 examination and shall be included in the case record if subject be recommended for discharge or for special assignment. 



Pearce Bailey, 

 Major, M. R. C, Chief of Division of Neuro-psychiatry . 

 Robert M. Yerkes, 

 Major, S. C, N. A., Chief of Division of Psychology . 



The failure of the War Department to provide a special building for psychological examin- 

 ing rendered it impossible for officers to carry out these instructions to the letter, but they 

 were nevertheless carried out in spirit in several important camps. 



Although all degrees, as well as varieties, of cooperation between these groups of officers 

 appeared in the different camps, the relations were on the whole surprisingly satisfactory and 

 profitable. In at least half of the camps the reference of cases by psychologists to psychiatrists 

 and the reverse were frequent and obviously in the interests of military efficiency. There were 

 only a few stations in which advantage of the presence of psychological examiners was not 

 taken by neuro-psychiatrists and in these instances inconvenient relation of the examining 

 buildings was quite as often responsible for the failure to cooperate as were unsatisfactory 

 personnel relations or lack of appreciation of methods or of the values of results. 



Despite all of the precautions taken by the divisions of psychology and of neuro-psychiatry 

 to avoid it, psychological and psychiatric examinations were frequently confused and serious 

 mistakes were made in connection with official action. These mistakes can not fairly be regarded 

 as attempts to injure the one service or the other. Instead, they are the natural result of 

 similarity of terminology and of the assumption that psychological work, because conducted 

 in connection with the medical department, is a species of medical service. 



One of the most interesting and important instances of misconception is that which appears 



in the following official letters: 



August 16, 1918. 



From: The Surgeon General U. S. Army. 

 To: The Adjutant General of the Army. 

 Subject: Elimination of mentally defective. 



1. Attention is invited to paragraph 1, letter A. G. O., August 8, 1918, which appears to indicate an effort to place 

 restrictions on the rejection of men for psychiatric conditions. It would also appear from the classification heading 

 ("psychologicaP') and from the wording of paragraph 1 ("psychiatric"), that there was perhaps a confusion between 

 the neuro-psychiatric and the psychological examinations. These two examinations are in reality widely divergent, 

 the psychiatric examiners aiming to detect actual cases of nervous and mental diseases, or tendency thereto, while the 

 psychological examination is for the purpose of grading intelligence. The psychiatric examination is a part of the 

 examination for acceptance or rejection of registrants, and psychiatric examiners are members of the examining board. 

 Psychological examiners are not members of this board, and their examinations are not considered in deciding on the 

 acceptance or rejection of a registrant. 



2. Attention is also invited to attached extract of cablegram no. 1464, dated July 15, 1918, from Gen. Pershing, 

 which calls attention to the necessity for special efforts to eliminate the mentally unfit prior to departure from the 

 United States. 



3. Attention is further invited to the attached memorandum from Maj. Frankwood E. Williams, M. R. C, which 

 indicates that in 34 divisions there were 3,035 men who were recommended for discharge by the psychiatric examiners, 

 but who were not discharged. They presumably accompanied their divisions overseas. 



4. It is recommended that this matter be brought to the attention of the department commanders and commanding 

 officers of camps, cantonments, divisions, special camps, and recruit depots; and that instructions be issued directing 

 special care to insure the rejection of the mentally unfit at time of the examination of registrants. Any such cases 

 which are subsequently detected should be eliminated from organizations as promptly as possible and in any event 

 before the organization leaves for a port of embarkation. 



For the Surgeon General: 



D. C. Howard, 

 Colonel, Medical Corps. 



