Evening star., 1948-09-06
Psychiatry and Witchcraft

To the Editor of The Star
1t is possible your correspondent ExNeu-
rctic has book knowledge Of psychiatry which Is
relatively new profession, the latest and new
est of sciences
More books have been written about the
human mind and mental disorders in the past
Is years than during all previous history and
the number and nature Of the inconsistencies
contradictions and conflicting opinions among
the authors of these books is unparalleled.
Some of the monstrosities described in these
books have no counterpart anywhere IN the
world; they are, in fact, nothing but imaginary
creatures dreamed up by the hallucinated imag-
ination of the authors. Hundreds OF new
names have been invented for so-called mental
disorders" so there now are 10 reasons Tor
calling a person insane where there was only
one reason 25 years ago. More people are being
adjudsed insane today than ever before In the
history OF mankind.
Psychiatry still Is in a category very closely
related to fortune telling. astrology, mesmerism,
numerology, phrenology, mind-reading and
hoodooism. Whether present-day psychiatry
is an improvement over witchcraft or merely
modern version OF the same thing MASQUERADE
ing in q new dress is . .debatable question.
New theories, new drugs new treatments new
experiments and new discoveries Of all kinds
are in process of development in this field
Many Of the 6O0,0 900 or more inmates in mental
hospitals serve as the experimental guinea pigs
In this so-called science"
Shock treatments by artificial fever, insulin
metrazol or electricity still are In the expert
mental and research stage, and it is roughly
estimated by the highest authority on the SUBJ
ject (viz the Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute
ThicQ npl hou Ono third Of those
treated by this method recover. If shock treat
ments make two worse and one better out Of
every three persons treated, then it is evident
such treatments are doing more harm than
good and, therefore, are dangerous and may i'm
peril the lives of innocent patients who are
subjected to the excruciating ordeal.
In order to understand the present-day in
sanity business, one must 60 back to the dark
era Of witchMaft and review the atrocities
resulting from the queer mental phenomena
which once afflicted people Any person sus-
pected Of being . witch was considered
terrible menace to society. Sometimes the
unfortunate victim was brought before the
authorities for hearing or trial and there
accused and convicted of every evil thing that
ignorant, superstitious and hysterical minds
could conjure up. Then the poor innocent and
defenseless victim was put to death. murdered.
Nobody can state accurately how many hum
dreds of thousands of innocent, harmless. help
less and defenseless unfortunates have lost
their lives because somebody imagined they
were danger to society"
DR.. Henry G. Link, In the American Mercury
for July, 1914. sharply criticized the psychi-
artists for their wholesale rejection Of draitees
because of nervous and mental symptoms ana
their equally wholesale recommendations on
the same grounds for the discharge OF these
men Dr. Link was concerned principally with
the fact that psychiatrists were making mel
tai" cases out Of relatively harmless ana IN
signihcant symptoms.
CHARLES N. DORR.