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Historical epidemiology and the functional psychoses1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Michael Shepherd
Michael Shepherd*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
2Address for correspondence: Professor Michael Shepherd, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF.
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Extract

Sixty years ago the distinguished epidemiologist Joseph Goldberger, following his outstanding achievements in clarifying the causes of pellagra, was offered a large research grant to investigate schizophrenia. He responded to the proposal by studying the available evidence concerning the schizophrenic syndrome and then politely declined to take up the challenge. ‘In five or more years’, he wrote, ‘I could probably find out nothing. Much work will be needed on the physiology of the central nervous system and on many collateral problems before dementia praecox can be understood’ (Parsons, 1943).

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 23 , Issue 2 , May 1993 , pp. 301 - 304
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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Footnotes

1

Part of the William Withering lecture on ‘The Epidemiology of Madness’ delivered at the University of Birmingham, March, 1992.

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