SEPTEMBER1978 ISSN 0140-0789

THE BULLETIN

OF THE

ROYAL COLLEGE OF PSYCHIATRISTS

COLLEGE NEWS ANNUAL MEETING, 1978: Preliminary Report

As was explained last year, the full Minutes of T. Ferguson Rodger, whose death followed several Annual Meetings are not published in the Bulletin years of illness and incapacity. Henri Ey, an Honor until the following year, generally in the May issue, ary Fellow, has already been commemorated in this having been found most convenient for members the Bulletin, and his former colleague in Paris, Génil- who wish to raise any matters arising from these Perrin, had been a Corresponding Member since Minutes at the subsequent Meeting. This summary '955- At home have lost Clifford Allen, well- of the proceedings at the Business Meeting on 5 July known for his work on the sexual deviations, and is based on notes taken at the time. A selection of J. V. Morris, for many years a prominent figure in papers presented on the other days will be published the Mental Deficiency Section. Last on the list was in later issues of the Journal and the Bulletin. the name of Aldwyn Stokes, whom many of us After confirmation of the Minutes, the obituary remember from his Mill Hill and Maudsley days, list was read out. Our losses since the May meeting which were followed by his appointment as Professor have been specially grievous, all the deceased being of Psychiatry in the University of Toronto and the psychiatrists of great distinction and some very dear Clarke Institute. to us. A tribute to 'Ben' Monro will be found on The Registrar's Annual Report and that of the another page, and we have also lost our Past-President, Treasurer had been circulated, and Dr Markowe's

The JCHPT, Accreditation and the EEC: Contents 1. From the Chairman, Education Committee's Working Party of Trainees 160

College News: 2. From the Secretary, Joint Committee on Higher Psychiatric Training 161 Annual Meeting, 1978: Preliminary Report 153 Examination Results—Preliminary Test and Obituary: Alan Bentley Monro 157 Membership Examination—April and May Mental Handicap: A Reply from the DHSS 157 1978 162 Approval Visits: Guidelines on Criteria and Reports and Pamphlets 164 Facilities for Training 158 Correspondence 166 College Announcements 159 News Items 166 The College's Medals and Prizes 160 Forthcoming Events 168

'53 supplementary report contained little that was new. his installation—under the RMPA he had about 14 The abuse of psychiatry in relation to political months in which to prepare an Address—and it is dissenters is still, unfortunately, a matter for grave obviously better to make the Address a feature of the concern, and a new Committee, under the Chair President's second year of office. manship of Dr Peter Sainsbury, has been appointed For the first time for over 45 years the Gaskell to deal exclusively with instances of such abuse and Medal and Prize had been won by a woman, Dr their implications. Dr Markowe read to the Meeting Pamela Taylor, of Guy's Hospital, and she received the text of a letter concerning the recent arrest in the prize at the hands of the President. It is remark of . On receipt of able that the three previous women winners, Mary this, the President had sent a personal letter to Barkas, Elizabeth Casson and Muriel Northcote, all President Brezhnev. The text of both letters is achieved their success in the short period between printed below. 1924 and 1932. This was the last Report presented by Dr Markowe, The winner of the Bronze Medal, Dr S. A. and he announced the result of the ballot for the Checkley of the Institute of Psychiatry, was unable to election of his successor. The new Registrar is be present. Dr G. C. Timbury, of Gartnavel Royal Hospital, Foreign and Commonwealth representatives and Glasgow, who was elected by a majority over guests were next received by the President. Most of Dr. P. H. Connell. them were satisfied with a formal exchange of Neither the Registrar's nor the Treasurer's compliments, but one American delegate pleased Report gave rise to any comment or discussion, and the meeting with an amusing speech in the course of the proposed increases in members' subscription which he presented Professor Rees and Professor were approved. Pond with parchments signed by the Governor of The formation of a new Section for the Psychiatry Louisiana and declaring them to be Colonels in the of Old Age was also approved. Professor Tom Arie, Militia of that State. in returning thanks to the Meeting, on behalf of the Next came the introduction, with appropriate Group from which the Section had evolved, mentioned citations, of five new Honorary Fellows. the support and sympathy the Group had received Dr Heaton-Ward paid tribute to Professor LINFORD from the Officers and staff, especially from the REES. When Professor Rees had assumed office the President himself, and went on to express the College had had to cope with the assaults of 'anti- Group's gratitude to Dr Felix Post, without whose psychiatry', and there were cracks in its own structure. distinguished and effective Chairmanship the Group Now the status of psychiatry had been enhanced and would never have made the progress it had, and to unity had been achieved. The Mental Deficiency the outstanding work of Dr Brice Pitt as Secretary. Section was particularly grateful to Professor Rees At this point, Dr G. A. Low-Beer gave an account for obtaining from the DHSS their recognition of of his recent visit to , first thanking the mental handicap as a psychiatric specialty. It was President for his tolerance when he, the speaker, had Professor Rees who had led the protest against the shown some lack of restraint when raising at previous abuse of psychiatry for political purposes. meetings the subject of the abuse of psychiatry and Dr W. Warren spoke of Dr MORRISMARKOWE'S the victimization of dissident psychiatrists. His visit services as Registrar, and praised especially his had followed a challenge by Soviet psychiatrists at wisdom in council and his modesty and invariable the Honolulu WPA Congress. He had met dissident courtesy. groups in Moscow and had visited mental hospitals Professor Rees cited Dr EDWARDHARE,reminding there. Although some of those detained had a previous the Meeting of how Dr Hare had maintained the psychiatric history, none appeared to be in need of high scientific standard of the Journal but also, during treatment, and no British psychiatrist could have his Editorship had made the Journal into a source of signed a compulsory order for any of them. substantial contribution to the College's resources. We hope to publish the substance of Dr Low-Beer's He recalled Dr Hare's scientific achievements in report in a later issue. epidemiology, birth order and season of birth studies, After the coffee interval, Professor Linford Rees and other fields. relinquished the Chair and installed his successor, Dr P. G. McGrath, in presenting Professor Professor Desmond Pond, as President. Departing T. C. N. GIBBENS,said that Professor Gibbens' from custom, and perhaps creating a new precedent, career had throughout been marked by the quality Professor Pond did not deliver an Inaugural Address. of compassion. The foundation of his work had been The timing of the election of President does not allow laid while he was a prisoner of war. At the Institute the successful candidate a sufficient interval before of Psychiatry he had had the title of Professor con- 154 ferred on him in a personal capacity, but his achieve The last piece of ceremony at this session consisted ments had led to the establishment of a permanent of a presentation to myself in recognition of my 50 Chair of Forensic Psychiatry. He had been a years services to the RMPA and the College. I was great stimulator and inspirer of research in that given, together with a cheque, a handsome glass field. bowl engraved with the Arms of the College, my Professor Linford Rees presented Dr NATHAN monogram and the figure 50. In returning my heart KLINE, the head of the Division of Research at felt thanks for this most generous gift, I quoted largely Rockland State Hospital, where he had gathered from a speech made in 1895 by Dr J. H. Paul, round him a brilliant team of scientific workers. Treasurer for over 30 years, on a similar occasion Dr Kline was a pioneer of psychopharmacology, (Journal of Mental Science, October 1895, p 749). In having been the first to introduce reserpine and the return I presented to the College two plaques bearing MAOI drugs into psychiatric use and more recently the College's Coat of Arms, to be hung in the had been one of the first to investigate endorphins in Council room and the entrance hall; it has also been the human brain. He had given most valuable suggested that one of them might be displayed at advice on the setting up of psychiatric services in College Meetings wherever held. different countries. ALEXANDERWALK

Letter from Mr I. R. Shaferevitch* On the 14th of May this year Alexander Soviet system, which threatens him with imprison Podrabinek, a member of the working party for ment for three years, although it is highly likely that investigating the use of psychiatry for political ends, (as was the case in the recently completed trial of was arrested in Moscow. The working party issued ) during the course of the trial the charge bulletins (eight had been issued) in which cases of will be changed, which would mean a longer forced psychiatric treatment were recorded which in imprisonment—up to seven years. the opinion of the working party was for political and I appeal to the public opinion of the West to defend not medical reasons; the names of the doctors Podrabinek because I am certain: that the matter involved in the therapy and the addresses of the implies dangerfor all of us equally threatening both the hospitals were given. Of the four founder members East and West. The event which Podrabinek was of the working party, two have been arrested, and fighting was not simply the misuse of power or the one had left the working party. Alexander Podrabinek inadequacy of legislation. It was the completely is the author of the book Punishment Medicine logical outcome of a deeply rooted materialist-derived which was used as evidence at the International outlook on the essence of man. If one cannot see in Congress of Psychiatrists in Honolulu. man any more than the results of social or biological In November 1977 Podrabinek, his father and evolution then the point of guilt or punishment loses brother were brought before the KGB who offered all meaning as they would be if applied to a machine. them emigration within io days, the alternative being And as a faulty computer is neither judged nor the threat of arrest. Podrabinek in a public pro punished but mended, it follows that a man should nouncement declined to emigrate. His brother be mended in the same way, having acted not in Kyrii was arrested and in March this year was accordance with the laid down programme. sentenced to aj years detention on the charge of For this there exist psychiatric hospitals of a special illegal possession of arms (he was found to have an sort, the outcome of this is so ¿«evitable,that even underwater fishing pistol which in the opinion of the the predecessor and teacher of Marx—Veetling—drew court was an extremely dangerous weapon). a picture of the future society "Harmony and Freedom Alexander Podrabinek is accused of slandering the where there would not be trials or prisons, but 'where all' who were afflicted with 'sick tendencies' would

* Translated by Dr G. A. R. Giri, Assistant Secretary, go to hospital, and those who could not be cured would be isolated in special colonies on islands. This BMA. In his covering letter to Professor Linford Rees, Mr is the typical Utopia imagined by a gloomy fantasist. Shaferevitch writes, 'I follow with appreciation and But a far more horrifying Utopia is evinced in real gratitude the humane activity of your group. This life: for the present small models show us what we activity encourages me to send to you the enclosed letter can expect in the not too distant future. For instance, and to ask for your help to bring it to the public attention.' when medical psychiatrists seemingly quite openly 155

"Thi s One

JLKO-9HB-Z28Y explain about patients who have forcibly been put Letter from the President to President under their care, that their religious convictions or Brezhnev their critical attitude towards life—(as medical men Professor Rees had already sent the following say ''absence of social adaptation1)—are the symptoms letter: which show they have become psychiatrically ill. Dear President Brezhnev, The outlook leading to this conclusion, did not I have been asked by the Council of my College to appear in Russia it grew and blossomed on Western write to you to express our members' concern at soil. For this reason I am certain that it is just as reports of the arrest of Mr A. Podrabinek. This much a threat to the West, though perhaps in a College has always been concerned about the safe different aspect: contemporary perfection of tech guarding of Human Rights and was especially niques for manipulating the human psyche the pleased to see the signing of the Helsinki Agreement conversion of man into a 'a common denominator' by our two countries. deprives the human being of spiritual freedom. It would appear from reports we receive that I turn to those who are fearful of this danger, and Mr Podrabinek has now been arrested because of his who believe their life would lose its meaning, if efforts to ensure that the conditions of the Helsinki evolution from ape to man is crowned by man Agreement are being observed and his concern evolving into a robot. For these people the fate of regarding allegations about the abuse of psychiatry Podrabinek will not be none of their business. And I in the USSR. My College is also most concerned hope they will understand that inactivity in this case about any reports of the abuse of psychiatry wherever is inconceivable because it produces fully definite it may occur, and my own personal concern at action. For instance, when the last Prime Minister reports from the is heightened by my of Britain, Mr Wilson, on the very same day as Honorary Membership of the Ail-Union Society of Orlov's trial signed an agreement with the officiai Neuropathologists and Psychiatrists. Soviet propagandist Surkov and went on to say that We hope that you might take a personal interest he was proud of what he was doing, he with that act in this case and ensure that if Mr Podrabinek is took on himself part of the blame for the harsh brought to trial the trial is conducted openly. sentence passed on Orlov and for the fate of those who The circumstances of this case puzzle us. We will follow him along this grievous path, and among realize that the laws of our two countries are different, these the fate of Podrabinek. but it is difficult for us, on the reports we have heard, Signed: I. R. SHAFEREVITCH to understand what Mr Podrabinek has done that is Member—Correspondent of the Academy of in any way criminal. Sciences, USSR, and Honorary or Overseas Yours sincerely, Member of several Scientific bodies in Europe W. LINFORDREES, and the USA President

[Note. Alexander Podrabinek has since been sentenced to 5 years of "internal exile"—Eds.]

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