HOMES NEAR TO NATURE 



81 



Recently this sanitarium has cele- 

 brated its twenty-first aniversary. His 

 alma mater, Wesleyan University at 

 Middletown, Connecticut, at her re- 

 cent eighty-seventh annual commence- 

 ment conferred on Dr. Givens her 

 highest degree, the LL.D. 



But all this told of the effect, the re- 

 sults. I wanted to get at the heart of 

 things, and especially to ascertain to 

 what extern nature has been a factor 

 in rearing and maintaining this great 

 rock of an institution. I wanted to 

 know the secret of the man's success. 

 With these two purposes in view, I 

 sought and obtained the freedom of the 

 place, and during a period of several 

 weeks I have, at my convenience, vis- 

 ited the different parts of the institu- 

 tion. I have gone alone and have done 

 as I pleased. I have sometimes met 

 the doctor briefly for a bit of general, 

 social conversation, or a cheery "Good 

 morning," and although he was aware 

 that I was making a study of the in- 

 stitution, not one word of suggestion 

 has he proffered. I have been free to 

 photograph and to make notes. What 

 I saw I am telling the reader in my 



own way aided by my camera. I have 

 talked freely with attendants, workmen 

 and patients. All are enthusiastic as 

 to the attractiveness of the place and 

 the excellence of the management. 



It is self-evident that Dr. Givens's 

 success is the result of a high degree 

 of medical skill and executive ability, 

 combined with hard, faithful and pains- 

 taking scientific work. But these quali- 

 fications, though they are important, 

 do not reveal the whole secret of this 

 institution's success in curing nervous 

 diseases. Two other factors have been 

 equally prominent — the natural beauty 

 of the location and the healthfulness 

 and invigorating air. 



Pope was only partly right when he 

 said that the proper study of mankind 

 is man. The whole truth is to add that 

 the best part of man is the mind, and 

 he who would best study mankind 

 must study the mind. From devoted 

 study of the mind of man the physi- 

 cian is able to analyze, diagnose and 

 scientifically treat nervous and mental 

 diseases with remarkable skill. Such 

 a physician loves his work for its 

 own sake, and delights in securing a 



"THE HOMESTEAD"— A TYPE OF ISOLATED COTTAGE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL HOME. 



