Builders and Destroyers

F. H. Kahan1

Twenty-five years ago Dr. and regardless of whether the clinical diagnosis was Dr. Humphry Osmond were confronted by vast schizophrenia, alcoholism, neurosis, emotional unexplored areas in mental illness. There were no immaturity, or retardation, they said, had malvaria. signposts to guide them except for a few clues in They thought that this would save them a lot of the literature and no precedence in research. They argument. However, psychiatrists couldn't did not know where their efforts would lead understand a chemical test cutting across sacred them, and for awhile they did not even know diagnostic lines, and for lack of evidence to the where to begin. Furthermore they did not know contrary they simply spread the rumor that the test from year to year where the funds would come had no value in psychiatry. from, and they were not prepared for the reaction But LSD, it was learned, did something else—it they received from other professionals, the lay gave a normal person an inside view of public, and the provincial government to every schizophrenia. Dr. Osmond, who was deeply new finding and every new problem encountered concerned about improving hospitals for the along the way. mentally ill, found this very interesting. Soon he In 1953 it occurred to them that LSD could be and a friend, Kyo Izumi, a creative Regina used to treat alcoholism. This started them on a architect, were doing architectural studies on series of treatment studies on alcoholics. At the mental hospitals, with the aid of LSD. same time, they began biochemical studies on Mr. Izumi took LSD several times, talked to how the drug works in the body, and they found a many psychiatrists, listened in on interviews with link in certain cases between alcoholism and patients, followed the work of Dr. R. Sommers, schizophrenia. This led to a biochemical test former research psychologist at Weyburn, and which they called the mauve factor test. Those Edward Hall of Chicago, who were discovering the people who were positive for the mauve factor harm being done to very sick people by long test, institutionalization, noted the valuable work being done by Dr. T. Weckowicz, former research 1 2716 Sinton Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4S psychiatrist at Weyburn, on constancy of 1K1. perception

286 BUILDERS AND DESTROYERS in schizophrenia, and lived with patients on the and making speeches around the country and finally wards. In time he and Dr. Osmond learned what a went to the residents of the Yorkton district. These hospital for schizophrenics should be and what it citizens, many of them presumably taxpayers, should not be. decided the issue by pouring letters into the The result was a remarkable hospital premier's office. As a result, the Yorkton center was especially designed to reduce the perceptual built. The premier said he quit counting after the disabilities of schizophrenics and to give them, first few dozen letters, and claimed they had the kind of shelter and environment they need. nothing to do with it. The Yorkton Psychiatric Centre was built in the Long before all this, Dr. Osmond had developed city of Yorkton in the southeast corner of a plan which was the forerunner of the Saskatchewan as part of the Saskatchewan Plan, Saskatchewan Plan. Dr. Osmond did not envision the plan for community psychiatry centering the indiscriminate discharge of sick people into the around the hospital serving the specific community into which the Plan has deteriorated. He community. But before the hospital was built and was thinking about how to resettle some of those the Saskatchewan Plan put into effect, patients who no longer needed to be in hospital. He professionals and lay people—members of the was also thinking of proper diagnosis, effective Saskatchewan Division, Canadian Mental Health treatment, and good care. Association—had many arguments and Many old people, he said, are in hospitals discussions with the provincial government.2 because they have nowhere else to go. Many had The government argued that professionals did grown old in mental hospital and were well enough not agree on the merits of the Saskatchewan Plan. to be placed in homes, nursing homes, and old The lay people and some professionals pointed folks' homes. The difficulty in getting them out was out that it had gained widespread approval and largely due to the lack of social workers. A number acceptance on the continent. The mental health of elderly people, in addition, were wrongly admit- budget, said the government, must stay in its ted by their doctors who did not understand the proper proportion to other budgets as a small part susceptibility of the aging brain to a lack of of the health budget and could not be expanded to vitamins, barbiturate poisoning, and an unwise use serve special interests. The lay people wrote and of anaesthesia. Needed was an adequate educational talked about the terrible conditions in which sick program, but facilities were not available. people were forced to live. Many of these patients, with good psychiatric Furthermore, said the government, the and social work care, he pointed out, could readjust beleaguered taxpayer, who had spent a great deal in the community. As an example, he said, within of money on the mentally ill already, would be one year 32 chronic patients had been resettled in very annoyed if he or she were asked to provide the community and only one had returned. new, costly facilities. Besides, Saskatchewan had In the 1956-57 budget, he asked for more social the finest mental health program in Canada, and workers for better follow-up care, paid help to the government did not want to get rid of the old replace the patients who leave the hospital, newly buildings at Weyburn and North Battleford. In created positions for psychologists, and junior addition, it did not care much for the criticism it nursing staff to free more senior staff to work as was getting and would appreciate more praise for group therapists. It was a blueprint for the next five the wonderful things it had done. years in Saskatchewan, with plans to save vast The people kept writing and talking

Brains and Bricks, by F. H. Kahan, printed and published by White Cross Publications, 1965.

287 ORTHOMOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY, VOLUME 5, NUMBER 4, 1976, Pp. 286 - 296 sums. know little about anything are turned loose to solve "Given an extra $750,000 a year for three the problems of psychotic people, without being years," Dr. Osmond said, "we could have sent out told clearly what those problems are." and kept out 700 to 800 patients. This would have Dr. Hoffer thought he had an answer. He had saved $25,000,000 in the next 30 years. I suppose learned something about governments. it was put down to my overheated brain." "A great difficulty with government is that they Putting more patients in the community would always try to cope with a problem by being one step save the government not less than $50,000,000 in behind it, and they rarely anticipate the end results, both mental hospitals in capital costs for new and what they are trying to do. If they were to put a hospitals and operating costs. Making the million dollars a year into a study of senility and necessary changes in the hospital within three how to prevent it, they would accrue immense sums years would cost over two million dollars. for future generations." Dr. Osmond decried the use of patient By this time the Weyburn hospital had become serfdom, calling this slavery of the worst and accustomed to a rare and ominous presence within most despicable kind. Without patient labor, the its walls. In January, 1955, new and strange hospital at Weyburn would have had to close creatures moved into its old environs—a research down. psychiatrist, a research biochemical technician, a The government rejected Dr. Osmond's research psychiatric nurse, and a research secretary, requests and the great needs of the mentally ill, working under the direction of Dr. Hoffer and Dr. and built nursing homes instead. Even this was Osmond. Ben Stefaniuk, research psychologist for done in an ill-considered manner for the three years, later left to take work in hospital government did not make use of the knowledge administration. Dr. Osmond was not able to get a available in the province. There were outstanding research ward; the unusual structure of this hospital experts in the geriatric field in Psychiatric made this very difficult. However, they did get beds Services, but the government had not come to on the sick ward for special treatments. them for advice. It had failed to support valuable The attitude of the hospital staff took some time research on old age and senility. It had done very to thaw out. Dr. Osmond pursued the policy of little that was adventurous and original. letting research establish itself gradually, believing Later, when Dr. Osmond's plans were it better that they should experience some hostility introduced, the hospital populations went down openly and neutralize this, rather than that they drastically. However, there were great difficulties should have an overcompliant but equally hostile because of the haphazard and hasty manner in reception which would last longer. which this was done. Had Dr. Osmond been The research group tried niacin on older patients present, much of this could have been avoided. to see what effect this had on cholesterol. They sent On one occasion Dr. Osmond wrote: "I am cerebrospinal fluids and blood samples to appalled by the way we don't use the scientific Saskatoon for toxicity studies. They did EEG approach. Psychiatric Services is still quite tracings on a great many epileptics and administ- unclear about many matters which could have ered and adrenolutin to observe the been solved years ago by well-aimed research. effects of niacin, with or without vitamin C, on Social workers continue to make the same old changes produced on EEG tracings. They mistakes, but have no real knowledge of families. experimented with ascorbic acid on older patients No one learns from their own or other people's who were known to be poor sleepers and to wander experiences. Brash young men and women who around at night.

288 BUILDERS AND DESTROYERS

They selected 10 university students and The only attraction here was the opportunity to do members of a Christian Student movement, who things which were not possible elsewhere. Instead were on the summer relief staff, for experiments of finding people of good will, they found a with adrenolutin and placebo. These experiments Superintendent who made life for Dr. Osmond were useful for future double dummy extremely difficult in a hospital teetering on the experiments. brink of public scandal. Dr. Hoffer tried to help They gave patients with delirium tremens him by advising him and discussing these things massive doses of niacin, niacinamide, and with him, and finally going to see Premier T. C. ascorbic acid combined with Beplex, penicillin, Douglas on his behalf. sodium bicarbonate, and glucose. Two of three Dr. Osmond decided to open a ward on a new cases were severely ill, but all three recovered "open door" policy of unlocking doors and with no side effects or complications. allowing some patients to go downtown during "I have the impression," reported Dr. Osmond, certain hours. This caused an uproar in the city of "that without this treatment, one of these three Weyburn. There was open hostility and unfair would certainly have died. He had been going criticism in the press. City officials made steadily downhill for two days and for 24 hours statements. Citizens made threatening phone calls had been grossly confused, hallucinated, and to the Osmond home. There was dissension and deluded. With our special treatment he fell into a hostility within the staff. Psychiatric Services gentle sleep within four hours and was talking officials remained silent. within 12 hours. Since this, we have had excellent Dr. Osmond tried to maintain a calm, cooperation and enthusiasm from the ward staff." philosophical attitude. The changes, he knew, were They were planning a multiplex treatment for important and as inevitable as the prairie wind. schizophrenia in the hospital, with massive doses A new crisis arose, this time in Saskatoon in of B and C vitamins combined with penicillin, 1960 when three research staff members started massive doses of glucose, and insulin, aimed at making difficulties within the research unit. producing a combination of all known successful "You and I happen to be stimulated by new, treatments. strange, and adventurous ideas," Dr. Osmond wrote All of this was like a fresh breeze blowing Dr. Hoffer. "This particular taste or addiction is not through the hospital. Optimism took the place of and has never been shared by most people. Most pessimism. The spirit lifted. The multiple people want to feel at home in a familiar world that changes, together with the research, were having becomes more and more familiar, so that before some effect. On February 12, 1956, Dr. Osmond long you take it for granted. This is exactly what an wrote Dr. Hoffer: innovator cannot and must not do. He takes a "Yesterday we had no one in restraint. A year familiar world and makes it look less and less ago there were about 40 people in restraint or familiar." seclusion. Such opportunities for observation and In spite of frustrations, heartache, and research, and now a staff well disposed towards disappointments, the work went on. There was a it, which they weren't a year ago." tricky period in the years 1955 and 1956 when for But this did not come about without personal almost two years they struggled with the problem sacrifice. The Osmonds had come from of getting adrenochrome and adrenolutin. Dr. with its "country changes of scene all inside a few Osmond was relieved the work was being done in miles, the richness of the countryside which is so Saskatchewan and not in England where, as he put literally watered, and the patina of history which it, "they like doing people in." encrusts everything." They found Saskatchewan In 1957 Dr. Hoffer acquired a machine prairie land bleak.

289 ORTHOMOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY, VOLUME 5, NUMBER 4, 1976, Pp. 286 - 296 from New York called a spectrofluoro-motor. said there had been too rapid an expansion. This had been developed by biochemists and "The expansion has been rapid," say Dr. Hoffer chemists in the United States to test the glow or and Dr. Osmond, "only because there had been a fluorescence of chemicals. Adrenochrome does research void, and having gone into the void, it was not give off a glow, but turns into another inevitable that expansion would occur." substance which does. This machine proved very It was said too many papers have been helpful. published. Did this mean the papers have not added There were many unanswered questions. anything to the literature? No one answered this There were several instances of patients question. recovering from schizophrenia after an attack of Dr. Osmond said, encouragingly, "Never mind pneumonia. Was this due to the effect of the fever these criticisms. The work must push ahead. At or the antibiotic therapy? present, psychology and psychiatry suffer from an The work with the red cells continued. They overdose of caution and lack of imagination. Every- found that schizophrenic red cells are different one wants to reduce their findings to fit in with from normal red cells; they are more fragile, and some idea of Freud's or some notion of Harry Stack Dr. Hoffer and Dr. Osmond asked themselves, Sullivan's. Now, while I have no intention of under- what does this mean? estimating these pioneers, I do not believe that they They read that the fragility of the red cell discovered everything, and if one stays within the depends on the concentration of acetylcholine framework which they used, one would prevent esterase on the surface membranes and they oneself from discovering what lies outside it." started thinking about acetylcholine esterase, the A doctor in Vancouver found something in enzyme which has the job of destroying the schizophrenic urine which he had not found in messenger chemical in the brain which is called normal urine. He and his staff injected urine acetylcholine. It occurred to them that, if extracts from schizophrenics into the ventricles of something interferes with the action of the monkeys and it produced a state of catatonia enzyme in destroying this messenger chemical in (rigidity) with irreversible EEG changes which the brain, the latter would remain in the brain too lasted up to three months. long and add to its irritability or excitability. Dr. R. Heath was working on taraxein in Tulane Adrenochrome, they thought, prevented the University with his chemist, Dr. B. Leach. enzyme from destroying acetylcholine, leaving Psychiatrists didn't like what he was doing. Dr. too much in the brain. This may also account for Heath and Dr. Leach were looking for substances in the increased fragility of the schizophrenic red schizophrenic blood which might increase the con- cells. version of adrenaline into adrenochrome. They This led to investigation of chemical found some substance, but they also found similar disruptions of the brain which can be attributed to ones in people who were physically ill, proving that adrenochrome and which explain the disturbance schizophrenics are physically ill. In their search in perception, thought, mood, and changes in they found Ceruloplasmin, and from this they personality found in schizophrenia. They extracted taraxein. Dr. Hoffer and Dr. Osmond wondered how leucoadrenochrome, a benign wondered what Ceruloplasmin has to do with hormone, fitted into the picture. schizophrenia. Some psychiatrists tried to ignore these weird Taraxein was found to produce behavior changes activities. They thought that if they didn't pay in monkeys similar to schizophrenic changes. attention, this nightmare might go away. Psychiatrists did not cheer these findings. Some of Others said the work was not confirmed. They the so-called top psychiatrists showered Dr.

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Heath and Dr. Leach with a barrage of bad- satisfactory. Leaders of the analytic movement, tempered ill-considered criticism which nearly however, were becoming concerned, indicating destroyed their work. They claimed they were that they were reading the Hoffer-Osmond papers. falsifying their data. Luckily the work is Some got through to Dr. Griff McKerracher, corroborated and today the existence of taraxein director of Provincial Psychiatric Services, who is accepted as a fact. suggested that Dr. Hoffer be more temperate in his What had Dr. Osmond and Dr. Hoffer criticisms. accomplished? "I told him that science imposes certain In 1956 Dr. Osmond said, "The hypothesis so responsibilities upon its practitioners," Dr. Hoffer far has stood up to scrutiny and encouraged reported to Dr. Osmond. "One is to criticize fruitful inquiry which is all one can ask of a rationally ideas one believes to be erroneous hypothesis which must either lead to greater without criticizing the man himself. This point is knowledge or be discarded." not accepted readily by psychiatrists. Later he said, "It has been one of our major "I know several psychoanalysts who are quite contributions to show that chronic and acute interested and who integrate their approach with schizophrenics are part of a continuum. This ours. Basically there is no antagonism between our alone would justify every cent we have used." hypotheses since they concern themselves with Then it became clear that they had etiology and description and we concern ourselves accomplished a revolution in psychiatric thought. with mechanism . . ." Most psychiatrists at first did not recognize this But dissatisfaction was growing because of lack revolution, but now were beginning to sense the of money and lack of space. The research received onrush. its first grant from the Canadian government in The year 1957 was very important in 1952, about the time when a new controversy was biochemical schizophrenia research. The research beginning to boil in psychiatry between those who biochemists found that it was possible to maintained that the experience and the synthesize pure adrenochrome and adrenolutin; LSD experience were similar to schizophrenia and adrenochrome was present in plasma and urine; were therefore valuable to study and those who adrenochrome can be formed in the presence of maintained that these drugs produced toxic psy- enormous quantities of vitamin C and therefore choses and therefore had nothing to do with must play a very important function in the body; schizophrenia. When Dr. Hoffer and Dr. Osmond adrenochrome is more stable in schizophrenic entered the scene with their LSD studies it looked plasma than in normal plasma and tends to form as though those who maintained that these more adrenolutin; acute hallucinated experiences had nothing to do with schizophrenia schizophrenics are high in adrenochrome, but not were getting the ascendancy. In 1954 the research chronic schizophrenics; LSD markedly increases obtained the Rockefeller Foundation grant, a adrenochrome levels and this coincides with the startling phenomenon in Canadian psychiatry. This height of the experience, but in most cases levels diminished the antagonism and lent some are normal within 48 hours. They had evidence respectability to the research. Later, however, the of a new derivative of adrenolutin, but did not Ford Foundation turned down the research request know what it was. These findings strengthened for a grant, and it was suspected that this was due to their hypothesis. the heavy Freudian loading of Ford's advisers, four By the end of November, 1959, Dr. Hoffer out of five of whom were analysts and the fifth later was encouraged to note that several to become an analyst. psychoanalysts found their view quite In 1956 the Saskatchewan Provincial

291 ORTHOMOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY, VOLUME 5, NUMBER 4, 1976, Pp. 286 -296

Treasury froze funds in Dr. Hoffer's research proposals were turned down, including a research account. Dr. Hoffer did not know why. It would proposal of about $35 to $45 thousand dollars in take a battle to release it, but Dr. Hoffer had the North Battleford which had primarily to do with the support of Dr. McKerracher, Professor of Psy- mauve factor work that Don Irvine was doing and chiatry at the University of Saskatchewan, and with clinical studies. There was no negative report Dr. Sam Lawson, Director of Psychiatric from Ottawa so, to everyone's surprise, a month Services. Ottawa was beginning to waver on the later Dr. Hoffer was informed that all the grants had annual grant to research. been approved. About 1960 the number of researchers in the "This was very strange, and I discovered six country began to increase, but the federal months later what had happened," Dr. Hoffer government did net increase the amount of related. "At that time Dr. L. B. Pett had just been money available to meet the greatly increased put in charge of all research grants in the health costs of research. Thus while in 1954 the research field and he was sitting in on all committee group could get a competent chemist for $6,000 a meetings, including this one. When he saw what the year, in 1964 it took $16,000. psychiatrists did to our research proposals he "We tried to get increased grants, but then the became violently angry and went to the Deputy research committees became more hostile," Dr. Minister of Health and told him what had happened. Hoffer said years later. "In Saskatchewan two Dr. O. was roundly rapped for his part in the senior psychiatrists had a quarrel, and one left to business. They took away his right to look after become head of the Mental Health Section of the grants and it was Pett's personal decision to Health and Welfare Branch in Ottawa. From that reinstate all the grants that Dr. O. had cut. moment on, Dr. O., as we will call him, took it "At that time there was a lot of attack on our upon himself to make it a personal vendetta to do grants, but it wasn't really an attack on me. It was an as much harm to Saskatchewan research as he attack on Saskatchewan for many reasons, among could as a way of attacking the other psychiatrist them making claims that other people didn't believe, who was not actively involved in research. It for example, reducing the patient hospital wasn't that he was very much against me or the population. For a long time this was looked down research, it was just that he was out to get us all." upon as a great hoax by the rest of the world. So Dr. O. started what Dr. Hoffer called "a Basically the main difficulty in getting research very cute policy." In the past every research grants is that governments have not yet accepted the proposal was submitted to two people for fact that research is a valuable enterprise. They examination, one a member of the committee and consider that caretakers in the Legislative building one an outside scientist. This meant that one of are more important than research workers because those who had reviewed the grant was at an open they put them on an annual salary whereas research meeting where he could be attacked or where the workers have to beg for their salary every year." grant could be discussed with him, thus reducing In 1960 Dr. Osmond began to be dissatisfied the chance of biasing the evaluation by selecting with the research climate in Saskatchewan. Dr. people for or against. Lawson, Director of Psychiatric Services, had Dr. O. began using two outside referees so that decided to disband the Saskatchewan Committee on if he didn't like a research proposal or if it came Schizophrenia Research because he was afraid of from Saskatchewan he would send it to two University influence. He said he wanted to protect referees whom he knew to be very hostile toward the research from criticism and formed a new it. As a result, in 1964 all Saskatchewan committee

292 BUILDERS AND DESTROYERS which did not include Dr. Osmond. What were commissions as experts, but would have added little the criticisms? Dr. Hoffer and Dr. Osmond did science. Our own personal gain would have been not know, but they could guess: the Hoffer- greater, but there would have been no fun. Instead Osmond claims were exaggerated; their methods we gambled our careers, our lives, and our welfare were suspect; their work was no good. Dr. on ideas everyone knew were crazy. We have Osmond suggested that they look at questioned all attitudes, all tests, and have made Saskatchewan very critically as a base for their teachers and administrators uncomfortable. We have operations. He advised that they go slow on the presented our ideas and evidence for them as proposed research institute as it had not been honestly as possible and we have not displayed false welcomed handsomely. modesty. In short, we have done research." "We seem to be one of the very few groups In 1961 Dr. Osmond returned to England and with an excess of ideas and very little cash and later became director of the Bureau of Research in hardly any space," he said. "We have done so Neurology and Psychiatry, Princeton, New Jersey. much, yet do not have a roof over our heads." He is now at Bryce Hospital, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In April, 1960, Dr. Osmond thought he knew Dr. Hoffer realized the shaky position of the what the trouble was. research. As long as he and his staff were dependent "We need to grow a beard apiece, have on outside grants, they were vulnerable to those who deferential assistants surrounding us and become wished to see the research program destroyed.* The bloody obscure, pompous, and rude. We would government, he said, should provide half the then have not the slightest difficulty in research budget. The government did not agree or impressing our colleagues with the excellence of disagree. It ignored the problem. our ideas. At the moment we are much too During those years the questions continued to go sensible and ordinary in both appearance and on. Why do acute schizophrenics respond to niacin behavior." differently than chronic schizophrenics? How does In October, 1960, Dr. Hoffer made their annual one go about investigating liver function in assessment of their long association in research. schizophrenics? There were very few metabolic "Looking back at the past nine years it is quite reactions well enough established to give them obvious that we did everything wrong for getting detailed information, but it was likely there was public acceptance of our work and did much some defect in handling indole substances. They good in getting our research eventually accepted continued to probe these and other questions in a by our peers—the scientists. Educators and total research space in the whole province of 2,500 administrators are usually one or two decades square feet. This did not compare favorably with a behind the investigator. To get popularity we United States set-up where there was 28,000 square would have sensed currently popular research feet for basic research alone. Saskatchewan re- areas. These were endocrines in 1950-52, stress searchers had done a vast amount of work in wholly theories in 1952-54, tranquilizers in 1954-57, and inadequate quarters. How much more could they energizers in 1957-60. Our attitude would have accomplish with space, some security of tenure, been that of quiet skepticism, criticism of money? methods, criticism of clinicians, of anecdotes and Dr. Hoffer had asked the government to build a knowing statements that everything is important research hospital. Premier T. C. Douglas had agreed and that psychotherapy is the key to everything. and his successor, Premier Woodrow S. Lloyd, We would have been held up as model made the announcement. An election was held, and researchers, have been invited to sit on various a new government came in. The

293 ORTHOMOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY, VOLUME 5, NUMBER 4, 1976, Pp. 286 - 296 latter said they would honor the commitment of Toronto, and from CMHA presidents and vice- the previous government. But they didn't. presidents in Vancouver and Nova Scotia. I. J. Although they had voted an initial $100,000 for a Kahan, then executive director, CMHA, suggested research institute, they reneged on their promise they prove the hope given is false. CMHA decided due to the inactivity and hostility of politically to sponsor three double-blind niacin studies in activist members of the Department of Public eastern hospitals.4 But the Saskatchewan directors Health. In addition the College of Medicine and other volunteers were frightened. They banned refused, by delaying a decision for nearly two the word "schizophrenia" from its publicity and years, to allow a research institute to be built on meetings and avoided the word "niacin" because, the campus of the University of Saskatchewan at they said, this would be commercial advertising. Saskatoon. A Regina organization saw that the community A committee chaired by Prof. A. Bailey was stood to gain a great deal from research findings. For hopelessly split with two scientists, Prof. C. years they negotiated with the CMHA and their McArthur and Prof. L. Jacques, in favor, and one representative, Mr. Kahan, regarding a workable neurologist plus Chairman Bailey against. plan for a mass survey of malvaria, an early stage of Bailey's main reason was that the College of schizophrenia. The ACT (Associated Canadian Medicine could not permit an independent Re- Travellers) had committed itself to raise funds for search Institute in Psychiatry since it would be the research building which was so badly needed, better known and attract more residents than the but now they were tired of waiting for the Department of Psychiatry of the University of government to make up its mind. Saskatchewan. The committee waged many January 10, 1969, Lionel Eberts, chairman, serious battles, but finally died. The dean refused Regina Club, ACT, wrote to Mr. Kahan: "Further to to take a public position. our discussion and correspondence regarding the Since it was clear that no institute could be Mass Survey for Mental Illness, at the General built in Saskatoon, Dr. Hoffer recommended it be Meeting of the ACT Regina Club held on Saturday, located in Regina away from a College of January 6, 1968, the following Resolution was Medicine which was so fearful of innovation it approved: 'That the Funds contributed to the Mental would try to suppress research. Health Research Building be now used for Detection The whispering campaign, which Dr. Osmond and Prevention Work.' By this we intend that feared, had begun.3 It boiled over into the larger donations in 1968 and subsequent years will be used community, first in little skirmishes when, for for Surveys and Preventive work and if possible that example, an overenthusiastic member of the past donations which were marked for Building may publicity committee, Saskatchewan Division, be used instead for the Preventive work." Canadian Mental Health Association (i.e., the The proposed mass testing program would author) sent out publicity stating that involve a community in southern Saskatchewan schizophrenics can get well. No one read the where an interested doctor had arranged to have publicity except government psychiatrists and the residents tested at the local hospital. After speaking National CMHA in Toronto. Letters of outrage to many citizens he had concluded that there would and protests that we were raising false hope be no hostility to testing chemically for malvaria. poured in from Dr. J. D. Griffin, general director, This promised

3 "Schizophrenia," by Alan Edmonds, Maclean's, May 14, 1966, gives a good roundup of the whispering by psychiatrists, some of whom would not give their names—a typical procedure. 4 The Ban-Lehmann studies which the CMHA later used as a weapon against megavitamin therapy.

294 BUILDERS AND DESTROYERS to be an exciting experiment and a prelude to an said, "not only because the world lost a great effective prevention and public health program. opportunity to do some meaningful research, but It would pave the way for testing of residents in also because the reasons given for the rejection were other communities and cities in Saskatchewan. It emotional, subjective, and biased. I think now that would establish the ACT once again as a pioneer this experiment would have given us priceless organization in prevention of illness—before knowledge on diagnoses, treatment, and prevention, with tuberculosis, now with mental illness. It whether it was successful or not. As I had tried to would establish the CMHA as a leader in point out, when doing research you are never sure of bringing about improvements in the mental the results and often even negative findings are health field. extremely valuable. However, the attacks did not Early in 1968 Mr. Kahan was invited to a deal with the real issues of research, but were special meeting with the ACT to discuss further personal attacks and insinuations. The attacks were plans for the preventive research program. He spearheaded by an individual who had obviously came prepared to give facts and figures and been carefully coached by professionals who did not found himself viciously attacked by an ACT have the courage to discuss the issues directly with official from Saskatoon who had conducted an the people concerned. informal survey of "experts" in Psychiatric "One of the benefits derived from this was that it Services and University Hospital, Saskatoon. provided a clear demonstration that there was really The result of the "survey" was a bizarre no one who could work for the schizophrenics and collection of ad hominem attacks. The final the mentally ill without undue influence from argument was that Psychiatric Services officials traditional professionals and governments. As a were aghast at the proposed program. result the Canadian Schizophrenia Foundation had The CMHA rejected the mass testing program to be formed." and bought a "dream" house with ACT money. In 1967 Dr. Hoffer went into private practice in Here graduate students in psychology in Saskatoon. In an interview in 1968 he gave his Saskatoon studied "sleep and dreaming processes reasons for resigning as Director of Psychiatric during mental illness" and other matters not Research for Saskatchewan. directly related to the immediate welfare of the "As long as I was involved primarily in research patients. there was no government interference," he said. The CMHA accepted a proposal from the "But as our work became widely known I was government that they would receive large grants forced more into development. Modern news media for their rehabilitation centre providing the have science writers whose job it is to present government decided who their rehabilitation scientific news to the public. Medical articles no director would be and maintained a government longer lie buried in medical journals, but may be official on the CMHA board. The CMHA in widely publicized by radio, television, and press. As Saskatchewan is no longer a voluntary lay development grew I found more and more evidence organization but an arm of the government, of increased resistance from the government until in charged with explaining government policies to the middle of 1966 it was very clear that I could the public and apologizing for the failures of the remain on my job as Director of Psychiatric community psychiatry program. Research only by giving up my freedom to do what Mr. Kahan was asked recently how he felt I considered was correct. I could have kept my job 1 about the rejection of the mass testing proposal forever if only I would put in my 36 /2 hours per now, looking back over the years. week, make sure all the useless paper "In general I feel sad about this rejection," he

295 ORTHOMOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY, VOLUME 5, NUMBER 4, 1976, Pp. 286 - 296 work was done, publish no more papers, and stop in psychiatry. bringing any more attention to our research. "Another reason was that the Department of "It became clear that funds from head office Psychiatry tried to adopt a form of censorship of my were being withheld and transferred to other writings and public speeches. Finally I was well sources so that it became impossible to hold aware that psychiatrists in private practice are senior scientists. In short it was clear (1) the exploited by the University Hospital in that they Department of Public Health was embarrassed by must provide much teaching and other services for our research, (2) it wanted to get out. which they are not paid. This was done because it is "A succession of deputy ministers with little considered prestigious to have a pseudo academic interest in psychiatry did not help the situation. appointment as clinical professor. As associate "The final factor was that the research institute professor of research psychiatry I did not need this was not built. My main reason for leaving the kind of recognition. I have never regretted my University as associate professor at the same time decision to resign and go into private practice." was that I did not feel comfortable surrounded by The Schizophrenia Foundation of Saskatchewan a group of friendly enemies who did their best to was born late in 1968 with prevent any public acceptance of our work. Dr. Hoffer as president and Mr. Kahan as executive "The objectives of the Department of director. The SFS was followed more than a year Psychiatry included being warmly accepted by later by the Canadian Schizophrenia Foundation, the profession. This meant that no disturbing with headquarters in Regina, Saskatchewan, and Mr. ideas should be promulgated. Thus I remember Kahan as director. The function of organizations like being told by a senior psychiatrist that I was not the CSF and the ASA-HI BR is to rescue sick people very popular among doctors. This statement was from illnesses which cripple and kill and not to obviously untrue as my popularity in private please governments and professions. Dr. Hoffer and practice shows. But it was true that I was in fact Dr. Osmond were soon joined by psychiatrists like unpopular among professors of psychiatry in Dr. A. Cott and Dr. David Hawkins and others in the Canada. I replied that had I wanted to win a determined and often bitter battle to restore the body popularity contest I would not be doing research and the art of healing to psychiatry.

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