THE SOCIETY OF THE NEW YORK HOSPITAL

BLOOMINGDALE HOSPITAL

MORTIMER W. RAYNOR, M.D., Medical Director

MONDAY NIGHT MEETINGS

PROGRAM

JANUARY 6—DECEMBER 22

1930

SINCE their inception about five years ago the Mon-
day Night Meetings tended to embrace rather inclusively
the whole scope of psychiatry—practical
and theoretical. The programs of the
last two and one-half years attempted to
systematize this tendency so as to in-
clude not only the review of the field but also to take into
consideration the ever increasing newer contributions and
to evaluate them from the standpoint of clinical importance.

This year's program presents an attempt to take one step further and to systematize our studies so as to include some research problems which would enable us to submit to a critical test the things newly learned as well as to utilize our clinical material for the purpose of substantiating our own views, which we gradually acquire in the course of our work. Such broadening of the scope and greater concentration of our work naturally necessitated a change in the distribution of papers among various members of the staff; more time will be required for the preparation of the individual papers and some problems could be more inclusively studied when two or more members of the staff (usually one from each of the clinical services) would cooperate in the working up of the material. These considerations naturally require that the work be distributed as long in advance as possible, and thus, in so

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far as it was possible, the papers were distributed among the members of the staff before the year began.

The distribution of topics underwent some definite changes as compared with the previous programs: instead of devoting the first Mondays to one branch of psychiatry, the second Mondays to another, etc., it seemed advisable in order to make our studies more concentrated, that we occupy ourselves with a definite subject for three to five successive Mondays and thus study a subject until it is covered. The last two months of 1929 were devoted to a review of the whole subject of schizophrenia; symposia on manic-depressive psychoses, on neuroses, and on personality development will follow in this program. In addition, we shall have a symposium on mental nursing, thus attempting to bring into closer correlation our studies and work in the clinical field with the aspects of the nurse's role in clinical psychiatry.

Certain sides of our clinical work bring us with increasing frequency face to face with many theoretical and practical details which on one hand are too important to be passed over and on the other too elusive and apparently small to become subject for a full evening discussion. During the ten evenings which will be devoted to the practical aspects of clinical psychiatry, an attempt will be made to examine in detail the various aspects of our clinical work with special reference to psychotherapy. There are innumerable details in a nurse's or physician's daily contact with patients which if systematically taken cognizance of could be utilized either for direct therapeutic effect or for the purpose of avoiding possible psychological harm which at first sight might not be evident. The management of the patient from the standpoint of form, content and technique will be taken up.

In former years special attention was paid to separate

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problems and to circumscribed topics. While papers written on such topics proved very valuable, the following rearrangement is introduced in the present program: instead of reviews and reports on some definite clinical features, comparative studies of such features are proposed; this, it is assumed, would enable us to increase the acuity of considerations with regard to differential diagnosis and also bring us closer to the conception of unity of psychic reactions and help us to get away from the tradition of nosological pigeon-holing of psychic reactions, a tradition which is now outlived, psychic reactions being dynamic and not static.

In addition to comparative studies, the research problems suggested in the program will again lead us to widen the scope of our clinical enquiries and will make possible to introduce the element of synthesis into our clinical work which from the standpoint of methods remains as a rule only analytical.

The work of the individual physician with the individual patient is usually brought to the attention of the rest of the staff only once or twice—at the time of the usual morning staff conference. Impressions are gained, hypothetic conclusions are reached, and it would be highly advisable for all to have the opportunity to compare their earlier impressions with those which might be gained from seeing the patient again when more is known about him and more therapeutic work done with him. Such an opportunity would naturally increase the field of clinical experience of each individual physician and would also serve as a control of the conclusions and recommendations which each individual had previously made. This will naturally increase the value of the physicians' therapeutic efforts with their respective patients. These considerations made it seem advisable to bring into the program by way of innovation, a series of clinical evenings when

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patients three to six months after their presentation at the morning staff conferences will be reviewed and also some evenings on which the patient's under psychoanalysis will be reviewed by the psychoanalyst—thus enabling us, in so far as it is possible, to gain some detailed insight with regard to our success or failure in psychoanalytical work.

As will be noted, the Mondays of the month of September are left open in order to enable us to meet emergencies by way of shifting a topic to a later date and also to bring up some new topic or study—like a pathography, a historical or anthropological study, or an original clinical study.

It might appear singular that psychoanalysis as such appears rarely if at all on this year's program. This is not an omission. It is thought that the dynamic and psychoanalytic features of psychopathology, clinical and theoretical, belong to the domain of psychiatry as an integral part of it and should not be considered as something separate. It is planned therefore to review most, if not all, the psychoanalytical concepts in the course of the evenings devoted to the practical aspects of psychiatry and also in the discussions of comparative studies and clinical reports (clinical evenings). This would make it possible to link up the psychoanalytic concepts in psychopathology with our practical problems and avoid placing psychoanalysis in the domain of speculative considerations.

No program, no matter how comprehensive, ever succeeds in embracing everything within the scope of our interests. It is natural therefore that a number of interesting and valuable subjects failed to be included in the program. It is confidently expected that, circumstances permitting, it will become possible in the future to devote more time to current literature, and instead

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of quarterly reviews, arrange brief reviews of the literature of the week introductory to each Monday Night Meeting. Also, more attention will be given next year to ethnological data which are of great value to psychiatry—data which this year will be taken up only incidentally as will be the neurophysiological aspects of psychiatry, to which only two evenings are to be devoted this year. As some members of the staff are now occupied here and abroad with these very aspects of our work, the task of enlarging this part of the program next year will not present any difficulty.

GREGORY ZILBOORG, M.D., Chairman
Bloomingdale Hospital
December, 1929.

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MONDAY NIGHT MEETINGS

1930

(Jan. 6-Dec. 22)

January 6....Symposium on mental nursing, I:

The nurse's potentialities and the physician's duty towards the nurse.

Miss TAYLOR

January 13....Practical aspects of clinical psychiatry, I.

Dr. ZILBOORG

January 20....Symposium on mental nursing, II:

The physician's requirements of the
nurse from the standpoint of case man-
agement.

Dr. JAMEISON

January 27....Practical aspects of clinical psychiatry, II.

Dr. ZILBOORG

February 3... Symposium on mental nursing, III:

The physician and the nurse from the
standpoint of the psychotherapist.

Dr. ZILBOORG

February 10...Practical aspects of clinical psychiatry, III.

Dr. ZILBOORG

February 17...Review of current literature and books.

Drs.

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February 24... Practical aspects of clinical psychiatry, IV.

Dr. ZILBOORG

March 3... Symposium on m.-d. psychoses, I:

Phenomenological views and clinical pictures of the definite phases.

Dr. GALBRAITH

March 10... Practical aspects of clinical psychiatry, V.

Dr. ZILBOORG

March 17... Symposium on m.-d. psychoses, II:

The formal picture and trends of the mixed types; differential diagnosis.

Dr. BURDICK

March 24... Practical aspects of clinical psychiatry, VI.

Dr. ZILBOORG

March 31... Symposium on m.-d. psychoses, III:

Stuporous conditions in m.-d. psychoses.

Dr. DUNN

April 7... Symposium on m.-d. psychoses, IV:

Personality types and psycho-dynamics of m.-d. psychoses.

Dr. ZILBOORG

April 14... Medical conference for local physicians.

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April 21......Symposium on neuroses, I;

The views, the clinical pictures, nosology and therapy of Charcot and Kraepelin.

Dr. HILL

April 28......Practical aspects of clinical psychiatry, VII.

Dr. ZILBOORG

May 5......Symposium on neuroses, II:

The contributions of Pierre Janet.

Dr. JAMEISON

May 12......Medical conference for local physicians.

May 19......Symposium on neuroses, III:

Other non-Freudian views on neuroses (incl. therapy).

Dr. BURDICK

May 26......Practical aspects of clinical psychiatry, VIII.

Dr. ZILBOORG

June 2......Symposium on neuroses, IV:

The Freudian views and their evolution.

Dr. WALL

June 9......Practical aspects of clinical psychiatry, IX.

Dr. ZILBOORG

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June 16 Clinical evenings, I:

Cases three to six months after presenta-
tion at staff conference.

Drs. HAMILTON and SPRAGUE

June 23 Practical aspects of clinical psychiatry, X.

Dr. ZILBOORG

June 30 Clinical evenings, II:

Drs. JAMEISON and WALL.

July 7 Clinical evenings, III:

Drs. DUNN and BURDICK

July 14 Symposium on personality

development, I:

Kretschmerian types critically reviewed.

Dr. HILL

July 21 Symposium on personality

development, II:

The contribution of the American group.

Dr. GALBRAITH

July 28 Symposium on personality

development, III:

The Jungian typology

Dr. DUNN

August 4 Symposium on personality

development, IV:

Psychoanalytic views.

Dr. ZILBOORG

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November 10... Research problems, I:

Suicide-types and psychodynamics.

Drs. JAMEISON and WALL

November 17... Comparative phenomenological psychodynamic studies, I:

Neurotic dissociation and schizophrenic splitting.

Dr. DUNN

November 24... Comparative phenomenological psychodynamic studies, II:

Affect in neuroses, M.-D. psychoses, schizophrenias and stupors.

Dr. HILL

December 1... Comparative phenomenological psychodynamic studies, III:

Circular and episodic phenomena in neuroses, M.-D. psychoses and schizophrenias.

Dr. BURDICK

December 8... Medical conference for local physicians.

December 15... Research problems, II:

Homosexuality—normal and psychopathological manifestations; genesis and therapy.

Drs. ZILBOORG and SPRAGUE

December 22... Research problems, III:

Criminal tendencies and trends in neurotics and psychotics.

Drs.

December 29... No meeting.

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December 30, 1941

Mrs. Robert Strausz-Hupšťa,
164 East 72nd Street,
New York, N. Y.

Dear Mrs. Strausz-Hupšťa:

It was good to hear from you some time ago and good to receive your Christmas card. How are you? Life has acquired a different hue of late and we shall soon feel the real throb of war.

It would be very nice to see you.

My best regards to you and to your
good husband and best wishes for the
coming year.

Yours cordially,

January 7

1941

Dr. Harry Stack Sullivan,

c/o. the New York Academy of Medicine,
2 East 103 Street,
New York City.

Dear Harry:

One of my greatest disappointments
is that I find myself unable to attend the meeting
of the Society of Clinical Psychiatry. I have been
so very rushed recently, and not only professional
but personal problems have crowded in and around me
in a manner which makes it rather difficult to keep
on even a productive keel.

I think of you frequently and still hope
that the vicissitudes of these days will offer us all
the opportunity to be much more useful than mere living.

My warmest regards to you and best wishes
for the New Year.

As ever,

TELEPHONE
WASHINGTON
169 - R2

NEW YORK OFFICE
9 EAST 47TH STREET
TEL. PLAZA B-0829

SWIFT BROTHERS
CHANGEWATER
NEW JERSEY

Sept. 4, 1941.

194

Dr. Gregory Zilboorg,
14 E. 75th Street,
New York City, N. Y.

Dear Sir-

Please be advised that we have moved our
factory to Changewater, N. J., and will be ready to resume
manufacturing in about a week.

Mr. Henry D. Meyer represents us at our New York
office, 9 East 47th Street.

Trusting we may have the pleasure of serving you
as heretofore, we remain,

WSS/C.

Yours very truly,
SWIFT BROTHERS,

88 Morningside Drive
New York City

May 18, 1940.

Miss Ruth Mattison
c/o Dr. Gregory Zilboorg
14 East 75th Street
New York City

Dear Miss Mattison:

Thanks very much for your letter. It was kind of
Miss Thornbury to think of me for your job but I honestly
don't think that I would be interested in it. Not that
it doesn't sound like a splendid job for someone! But
I've been looking for a change away from the medical field
and I thought Miss Thornbury understood this. I've always
been more or less like a fish out of water in the doctor's
office I'm in now.

May I suggest that you speak to Frances Voorhees
about the job? I believe she was in your class at college.
I have no idea as to whether or not she would qualify but
I do know that the kind of work you described in your
letter would be fascinating to her. I'm not at all sure
about her typing and I am sure that she has no shorthand,
but I thought it would do no harm to talk with her about
it. I spoke to Frannie over the phone yesterday and
told her to call you on Monday morning. It was just a
thought that came to me - possibly a poor one. I hope
you won't mind my mentioning it to her.

Best wishes for the future and thank you so much for
letting me know about the job.

P. S. Frannie's address is 825 Fifth Avenue.

MAY 16, 1940

MISS FLORENCE HARDY,
BUTLER HALL,
60 MORNINGSIDE DRIVE,
NEW YORK, N. Y.

DEAR MISS HARDY:

MISS THORNBURY HAS SENT ME YOUR NAME BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN A JOB WHICH I AM ABOUT TO RELINQUISH AND FOR WHICH I SHOULD LIKE TO FIND A SUCCESSOR.

THE OFFICIAL TITLE FOR THIS POSITION WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE "RESEARCH SECRETARY" TO DR. ZILBOORG, WHO IS A PSYCHIATRIST AND PSYCHOANALYST. THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE WORK CONSISTS OF PREPARING NOTES AND MATERIAL, MOSTLY IN FIELDS CONNECTED WITH MEDICAL HISTORY ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT BE ALMOST ANYTHING, TO BE USED BY DR. ZILBOORG FOR HIS LECTURES AND PAPERS. THEN THERE IS THE BUSINESS OF EDITING MANUSCRIPTS FOR PUBLICATION. DR. ZILBOORG WORKS BEST WITH SOMEONE WHO CAN BE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN LEARNING FOR HERSELF AS WELL AS IN SUPPLYING INFORMATION FOR HIM. ANOTHER SECRETARY TAKES CARE OF MOST OF THE OFFICE ROUTINE AND CORRESPONDENCE BUT MY JOB HAS TO DOVETAIL WITH HERS IN EVERY WAY TO KEEP THINGS RUNNING SMOOTHLY.

PERHAPS THIS MEAGRE DESCRIPTION DOES NOT PRESENT A CLEAR PICTURE BUT, SHOULD YOU BE INTERESTED, YOU MIGHT DROP ME A NOTE OR TELEPHONE SO THAT WE COULD ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW.

ALSO SENT TO: MISS MARGARET N. STONE

JUNE 10, 1940

MISS ZITA L. THORNBURY, DIRECTOR,
VOCATIONAL BUREAU,
VASSAR COLLEGE,
POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y.

DEAR MISS THORNBURY:

I AM RETURNING TO YOU THE REFERENCE FOLDERS FOR ELEANOR BUIST, FRANCES EMANUEL AND MARGARET STONE. I DID NOT HEAR FROM MISS BUIST AND MISS EMANUEL HAS NO SHORTHAND WHICH DR. ZILBOORG FEELS IS ESSENTIAL FOR THIS JOB. HE IS ABOUT TO MAKE WHAT I THINK WILL BE FINAL ARRANGEMENTS WITH MISS STONE WHO WILL PROBABLY START WORKING HERE SOME TIME THIS SUMMER.

I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR HELPING ME OUT WITH THIS ASSIGNMENT AND I AM QUITE SURE DR. ZILBOORG FINDS VASSAR AS A WHOLE QUITE SATISFACTORY. YOU WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HEAR FROM MISS STONE HOW THINGS WORK OUT. FROM MY POINT OF VIEW IT SHOULD BE FAIR SAILING.

SINCERELY YOURS,

MAY 27, 1940

DEAR MISS THORNBURY!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LETTER
AND FOR SENDING THE INFORMATION ABOUT MISS BUIST AND
MISS EMANUEL. I AM RETURNING MISS HARDY'S FOLDER AS
SHE WROTE THAT SHE DID NOT THINK SHE WOULD BE INTER-
ested in another job in a doctor's office. I HAVE
talked to Miss Stone and, as Dr. ZILBOORG SEENS
DEFINITELY TO BE INTERESTED IN HER, I WOULD LIKE TO
HAVE HER FOLDER ON HAND FOR ANOTHER DAY OR TWO IF I
may.

SINCERELY YOURS,

MAY 16, 1940

DEAR MISS THORNBURY:

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LETTER
AND THE REFERENCE FOLDERS FOR MISS STONE AND MISS
HARDY. I HAVE WRITTEN TO BOTH OF THEM TODAY AND HOPE
THAT PERHAPS I MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE THEM NEXT WEEK.

DR. ZILBOORG HAS ALSO READ THE
REFERENCES. I THINK HE WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED
THAT NEITHER OF THEM SEEMED TO HAVE HAD ANY GERMAN.
HE ALSO ADDED THAT AN EXPERIENCED PERSON IS BY NO
MEANS ESSENTIAL.

AS SOON AS I HAVE COME TO ANY
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT MISS STONE AND MISS HARDY, I WILL
LET YOU KNOW.

SINCERELY YOURS,

VASSAR COLLEGE

POUGHKEEPSIE · NEW YORK

Vocational Bureau

May 14, 1940

Dear Ruth:

I am glad to hear about your approaching mar-
riage. I hope you will be very happy!

I am interested to know more about the work you
are leaving behind and I can see how eager you are to
find the right person to become your successor. For the
time being I do not think it would be necessary for you
to come to Vassar and since my days are so full I should
prefer to go on with correspondence unless it seems impor-
tant to have a talk.

There are two possibilities among recent experienced secretaries whose names should be suggested, one is Florence Hardy and the other Margaret Stone. I shall enclose folders of references in this letter and ask you to get in touch with the two candidates yourself explaining what the work involves. Can you invite them to meet you to go over the matter with you? It may be better to send communications to their home addresses which will be carefully noted on the folders. If you prefer to have me send them notices using the information you have supplied by all means let me know.

If these suggestions are not helpful I shall be glad
to try again.

Sincerely yours,

Zita L. Thornbury
Director

Enclosures
ZLT:R

Miss Ruth Mattison
C/o Dr. Gregory Zilboorg
14 East 75th Street
New York City