- Email: [email protected]
THE WORK OF C.I.O.M.S. FROM A CORRESPONDENT
1330 e.g.,
electrophysiologists, neurologists, and psychologists
-was common; the relations between staff of different status and between staff and patients, both in the research institutes and in hospitals, appeared good.
Though much of the research has not yet resulted in direct advances in treatment, there can be little doubt that such applications will come in time. At present the emphasis is on building the basic medical sciences, and it is research, both fundamental and applied, which attracts the ablest people. As already mentioned, the work on psychophysiological mechanisms of higher nervous activity seemed better planned than did much of the work on taxonomy. The greatest weaknesses in the research I saw seemed to me - two be in experimental design and statistics. I met no-one interested in human genetics and its recent developments, or in the genetics of the specific diseases that contribute to the condition of mental deficiency. The orientation of nearly all of the work I saw was "psycho-neurological." More strictly psychological work -e.g., the study of motivation, emotion, and conflictis not so advaneed. Several Soviet psychologists commented on the weakness of the research in these fields
Special Articles THE WORK OF C.I.O.M.S. FROM A CORRESPONDENT
SINCE its creation in 1949, the Council for International Organisations of Medical Sciences (C.I.O.M.S.) has been concerned with the coordination of international congresses and with the improvement of their standards. When the general assembly of the council met recently in Paris, representatives of 46 non-governmental medical organisations reviewed past achievements and thought about future plans. A rapid growth of medical sciences and a concomitant increase in specialisation and ease of travel would, in logic, lead to a greater number of highly specialised meetings with limited interests and attendances. And this is what is happening. Symposia have lately flourished : these small meetings of 20-25 persons, lasting four or five days, permit advanced discussions between internationally known scientists; and they have proved of much value in advancing scientific knowledge, devising practical projects (particularly those involving several disciplines), and planning research. But these meetings are difficult to organise effectively, and the selection of their members presents many problems. Symposia seem a logical new development, and the large international congresses, run on conventional lines with thousands of participants, often seem out of date. Their very size defeats their purpose: contacts between workers become extremely difficult and the countless papers (of uneven quality) oblige the organisers to hold numerous sessions, many of them concurrently. For many senior members a congress is merely an opportunity for private conversation outside the lecture hall. The cost of the congress is high and hardly merited by the scientific results. Congresses have nevertheless become so well established a tradition that it would be impossible, even if it were desirable, to abandon them altogether. It is more realistic to try to change their objectives and to harness their momentum for different purposes. The monster congress of today cannot have the same objectives as the small congresses of the early days. What can therefore be done ?
and spoke of the need to develop a scientific approach to emotional problems. In my brief visit I saw little of the research being done in social psychiatry or devoted to work therapy, to which much attention is paid; and I formed no impression of the quality of such research, which has been described by Wortis (1950). The Soviet scientists and doctors were eager to exchange information and to show me what they were doing. They asked many questions about what is being done in England. Reprints of articles and books (10 kg. in weight) were given to me to take home. I was able to secure several papers for publication in English journals and the question of exchanges of scientific personnel between the Soviet Union and England was fruitfully discussed. Throughout my stay in the U.S.S.R. I was treated with very great hospitality, both official and private. The kindness shown to me by my Soviet hosts, especially Professor Luria, was unforgettable, and it is a pleasure to acknowledge it here. REFERENCES
Brockington,
C.
(1956) Lancet, ii, 138. Fox, T. F. (1954) ibid. ii, 748, 803. Ivanov-Smolensky, A. G. (1927) Brain, 50, 138. Kirman, B. H. (1954) S.C.R. Sov. med. Bull. 1, 27. Simon, B. (1957) Psychology in the Soviet Union. London. Wortis, J. (1950) Soviet Psychiatry. Baltimore.
(1) The teaching function of the congress must be deliberately emphasised and its programme drawn up accordingly, Large congresses have their usefulness in dispersing standard knowledge, techniques, and practices widely to all parts of the world. Certain congresses are already taking the form of large refresher courses. Such international congresses appeal workers as well as to those who live in isolated communities. (2) Congresses need not be held so often. Some are held every two years, but a periodicity of four or five years is probably more realistic, though of course each case must be judged on its merits. (3) Some attempt must be made to limit the number of participants. It is hard to do that in an authoritative way by a deliberate decision, and the most suitable way seems to be to limit the subject matter. Certain congresses, by attempting to study several subjects or choosing a subject too broad in itself, achieve very little and often end in confusion. (4) The necessity for coordination in time, place, and subject must be kept constantly in mind. There are today many international organisations covering every conceivable discipline, Poaching a subject on another organisation’s territory leads to waste of time and energy. There have been unfortunate instances in the past when the same subject was studied simultaneously in widely separated cities. (5) The opportunity of a congress should be used for the organisation of satellite meetings which can take the form of closed symposia, seminars, or training courses in laboratory methods. In particular, symposia should be organised quite separately from the congress-either before or after. They can draw part of their membership from the congress and make up for the congress’s more restricted programme. Two other types of meeting-the international conference and the seminar-have been studied by C.I.O.M.S. The conference, as defined by C.I.O.M.S., is a meeting not exceeding 300 participants, all leading authorities carefully chosen by an international programme committee, and the purpose of the conference is to allow exchanges of information on a specified subject. What the conference may lose in breadth it may reasonably hope to gain in depth. It can be very much more technical in its approach than a congress and may attain a level somewhere between those of a symposium and a congress. A conference needs a more homogeneous composition and is a very satisfactory type of meeting to be held in association with an annual assembly. The seminar is a teaching device and consists of up to 50 people meeting full-time for from one to four weeks. Of the to younger
1331 group, 10-15 have an instructional role and the rest are students ". The seminar proceeds by a combination of didactic instruction, small working groups, and discussions.
In
"
"
"
organisations, by publishing monographs, by keeping a register of congresses, by publishing calendars, and by convening " congress planning meetings ". The Council has encouraged the organisation of symposia in relation to congresses and has arranged several on its own initiative. To help younger men to attend selected congresses, number of
"
congress fellowThe Council has and encouraged occasionally ships ". undertaken the organisation of certain types of meetings in the so-called underdeveloped countries. Although the Council’s individual activities have been very successful, improvements have been slow to emerge from them. This is perhaps not surprising considering that international congresses are recurring events arranged by individual international societies or by people in the same tradition as the previous organisers. Each succeeding congress tends to draw its pattern from its predecessor. Although the secretariat of C.I.O.M.S. is in constant touch with the officers of its member organisations, all international societies, associations, or unions have not reached an identical level of efficiency. Between the highly active societies and those that are barely more than a.list of names on a letterhead, there are many run on a part-time basis with insufficient secretarial help. Communication between international secretariats and national chapters is therefore often inadequate or irregular. Moreover, certain broad disciplines are covered by a number of overlapping international organisations with insufficient liaison. Indeed, some international societies have obviously outlived their usefulness, and C.I.O.M.S. is to give serious thought to a radical pruning so that the tree will gather fresh strength. The policy of C.I.O.M.S. will be developed in the light of these considerations. The Council will strive to have its recommendations regarding meetings more widely accepted and will encourage a functional regrouping of international organisations in certain fields. The Council will also suggest to member organisations the study of certain questions, such as geographical pathology and controlled clinical trials. Help will be given, as in the past, to those organisations which will undertake work in documentation, bibliography, and terminology and nomenclature. To create a body of opinion favourable to the Council’s policy, C.I.O.M.S. intends to enlist the cooperation of the leading national medical institutions in each country. Contacts have existed with national academies, colleges, research centres, and prominent national societies, but formal relationships are needed. Accordingly, the articles of association of C.I.O.M.S. were amended to enable one national institution per State to become an associate member, and thus help to shape the Council’s policy and programme. At the close of its fourth general assembly, C.I.O.M.S. is in a better position to attain its objective. It does not seek to impose its views on its members but simply to advise, encourage, and coordinate. Voluntary organisations, if they can accept enough self-discipline to correctthe faults which are the price of their independence, have an essential part to play in the scientific world of today. a
Running Commentary by Peripatetic Correspondents As I was dreaming up the Bakerloo to the R.S.M. the other evening a seductive notice caught my eye. Advertise in this space," it said, for less than ls. a week." To me this was a new and original suggestion. To think that I could have a lump of my narcissistic ego travelling from the Elephant to Stanmore and back being stared at by millions of people. What would I put(ME) FOR CONSULTANT ", obviously. The idea had other possibilities. How about sending someone a year’s subscription by way of an original Christmas present ? Or even better, leaving a space in perpetuity in a will to use as they thought fit. But science won in the end, and by the time the collector was poring over my shredded ticket I had worked out a new projective technique in succession to our old and invalid friend, the Rorschach. A
During the past three years, C.I.O.M.S. has done its utmost to promote these distinctive types of international gatherings by giving advice asked for by its member
C.I.O.M.S. has granted
England Now
.
’
’
The instructions for my A mad uncle has left you advertise what you like for the
test run:
space in an Underground train to of your life. What would you put ? A nice neat device, no elaborate equipment needed: now to validate it. The first thing to do was to give the test to a large a
rest
and
representative population and correlate the replies with something. My wife was ready to hand, and her answer was simple: Good second-hand pram. wanted", and then " Daily woman to do the rough." That, I decided, was definitely diagnostic. Fred was in the commonroom reading The Worker, so I asked him. " Ban the H-Bomb," he thought, " or Underground Movements of the World Unite." One of my more sadistic colleagues suggested " This space is yours for only 3d. a week " to cause havoc in the inquiries department of London Transport. My study continues, so Watch This Space for exciting new developments in applied psychology. "
*
*
*
" A little bit of this and a little bit of that", then a brisk stir with his glass rod, an admiring glance at upraised armsand the cheapjack handed down the half-filled glass. length, " Try it,"" he coaxed, his nose twitching with the strong scent of prey. The greatest herbal medicine since the discovery of America and Peruvian bark." With his ingratiating manner and rolling eyes he was the counterpart of Chaucer’s Pardoner. In fact, he quoted with a leer, " My theme is always one and ever was-Radix malorum est Cupiditas." This impressed ushere indeed was a man of letters. I was pushed forward by the resilient ring of interested spectators. " Come sir, the flavour is unique, and the effect miraculous. The ingredients are purely from Mother Nature, untouched by human hand. Clears the catarrh, flushes the system, regulates the digestion-" Curiously watched, I sipped it with growing appreciation-" steadies the brain, sweetens the breath, sparkles the eyes "-Not at all bad until the chalky sediment settled on my tongue and yet I resisted adding " polishes your buttons " at the usual affront-" and makes your hair curl ". Being stone bald I was grateful he didn’t call me Curly. Though diffident and dazed I acted the go-betweenhanding the small assorted bottles into the crowd and receiving a large silver coin in exchange. The policeman turned the comer-our stock was half sold-and as we hadn’t got a hawker’s licence we had to beat it. But isn’t it a wonderful way to get rid of all those samples that lie on our shelves gathering dust ? *
*
*
Our nearby university city runs an ideal cinema where the films are good, the seats are bookable, and there are no advertisements. Last week we went with some trepidation to see Garbo in her 24-year-old film Queen Christina. And how worth while. After a little laughter at the old conventions of the cinema, all ages, from undergraduates onwards, were enveloped in her portrait of an intelligent woman giving her crown, her riches, her country, her everything, for love. A glorious piece of
electrophysiologists, neurologists, and psychologists
-was common; the relations between staff of different status and between staff and patients, both in the research institutes and in hospitals, appeared good.
Though much of the research has not yet resulted in direct advances in treatment, there can be little doubt that such applications will come in time. At present the emphasis is on building the basic medical sciences, and it is research, both fundamental and applied, which attracts the ablest people. As already mentioned, the work on psychophysiological mechanisms of higher nervous activity seemed better planned than did much of the work on taxonomy. The greatest weaknesses in the research I saw seemed to me - two be in experimental design and statistics. I met no-one interested in human genetics and its recent developments, or in the genetics of the specific diseases that contribute to the condition of mental deficiency. The orientation of nearly all of the work I saw was "psycho-neurological." More strictly psychological work -e.g., the study of motivation, emotion, and conflictis not so advaneed. Several Soviet psychologists commented on the weakness of the research in these fields
Special Articles THE WORK OF C.I.O.M.S. FROM A CORRESPONDENT
SINCE its creation in 1949, the Council for International Organisations of Medical Sciences (C.I.O.M.S.) has been concerned with the coordination of international congresses and with the improvement of their standards. When the general assembly of the council met recently in Paris, representatives of 46 non-governmental medical organisations reviewed past achievements and thought about future plans. A rapid growth of medical sciences and a concomitant increase in specialisation and ease of travel would, in logic, lead to a greater number of highly specialised meetings with limited interests and attendances. And this is what is happening. Symposia have lately flourished : these small meetings of 20-25 persons, lasting four or five days, permit advanced discussions between internationally known scientists; and they have proved of much value in advancing scientific knowledge, devising practical projects (particularly those involving several disciplines), and planning research. But these meetings are difficult to organise effectively, and the selection of their members presents many problems. Symposia seem a logical new development, and the large international congresses, run on conventional lines with thousands of participants, often seem out of date. Their very size defeats their purpose: contacts between workers become extremely difficult and the countless papers (of uneven quality) oblige the organisers to hold numerous sessions, many of them concurrently. For many senior members a congress is merely an opportunity for private conversation outside the lecture hall. The cost of the congress is high and hardly merited by the scientific results. Congresses have nevertheless become so well established a tradition that it would be impossible, even if it were desirable, to abandon them altogether. It is more realistic to try to change their objectives and to harness their momentum for different purposes. The monster congress of today cannot have the same objectives as the small congresses of the early days. What can therefore be done ?
and spoke of the need to develop a scientific approach to emotional problems. In my brief visit I saw little of the research being done in social psychiatry or devoted to work therapy, to which much attention is paid; and I formed no impression of the quality of such research, which has been described by Wortis (1950). The Soviet scientists and doctors were eager to exchange information and to show me what they were doing. They asked many questions about what is being done in England. Reprints of articles and books (10 kg. in weight) were given to me to take home. I was able to secure several papers for publication in English journals and the question of exchanges of scientific personnel between the Soviet Union and England was fruitfully discussed. Throughout my stay in the U.S.S.R. I was treated with very great hospitality, both official and private. The kindness shown to me by my Soviet hosts, especially Professor Luria, was unforgettable, and it is a pleasure to acknowledge it here. REFERENCES
Brockington,
C.
(1956) Lancet, ii, 138. Fox, T. F. (1954) ibid. ii, 748, 803. Ivanov-Smolensky, A. G. (1927) Brain, 50, 138. Kirman, B. H. (1954) S.C.R. Sov. med. Bull. 1, 27. Simon, B. (1957) Psychology in the Soviet Union. London. Wortis, J. (1950) Soviet Psychiatry. Baltimore.
(1) The teaching function of the congress must be deliberately emphasised and its programme drawn up accordingly, Large congresses have their usefulness in dispersing standard knowledge, techniques, and practices widely to all parts of the world. Certain congresses are already taking the form of large refresher courses. Such international congresses appeal workers as well as to those who live in isolated communities. (2) Congresses need not be held so often. Some are held every two years, but a periodicity of four or five years is probably more realistic, though of course each case must be judged on its merits. (3) Some attempt must be made to limit the number of participants. It is hard to do that in an authoritative way by a deliberate decision, and the most suitable way seems to be to limit the subject matter. Certain congresses, by attempting to study several subjects or choosing a subject too broad in itself, achieve very little and often end in confusion. (4) The necessity for coordination in time, place, and subject must be kept constantly in mind. There are today many international organisations covering every conceivable discipline, Poaching a subject on another organisation’s territory leads to waste of time and energy. There have been unfortunate instances in the past when the same subject was studied simultaneously in widely separated cities. (5) The opportunity of a congress should be used for the organisation of satellite meetings which can take the form of closed symposia, seminars, or training courses in laboratory methods. In particular, symposia should be organised quite separately from the congress-either before or after. They can draw part of their membership from the congress and make up for the congress’s more restricted programme. Two other types of meeting-the international conference and the seminar-have been studied by C.I.O.M.S. The conference, as defined by C.I.O.M.S., is a meeting not exceeding 300 participants, all leading authorities carefully chosen by an international programme committee, and the purpose of the conference is to allow exchanges of information on a specified subject. What the conference may lose in breadth it may reasonably hope to gain in depth. It can be very much more technical in its approach than a congress and may attain a level somewhere between those of a symposium and a congress. A conference needs a more homogeneous composition and is a very satisfactory type of meeting to be held in association with an annual assembly. The seminar is a teaching device and consists of up to 50 people meeting full-time for from one to four weeks. Of the to younger
1331 group, 10-15 have an instructional role and the rest are students ". The seminar proceeds by a combination of didactic instruction, small working groups, and discussions.
In
"
"
"
organisations, by publishing monographs, by keeping a register of congresses, by publishing calendars, and by convening " congress planning meetings ". The Council has encouraged the organisation of symposia in relation to congresses and has arranged several on its own initiative. To help younger men to attend selected congresses, number of
"
congress fellowThe Council has and encouraged occasionally ships ". undertaken the organisation of certain types of meetings in the so-called underdeveloped countries. Although the Council’s individual activities have been very successful, improvements have been slow to emerge from them. This is perhaps not surprising considering that international congresses are recurring events arranged by individual international societies or by people in the same tradition as the previous organisers. Each succeeding congress tends to draw its pattern from its predecessor. Although the secretariat of C.I.O.M.S. is in constant touch with the officers of its member organisations, all international societies, associations, or unions have not reached an identical level of efficiency. Between the highly active societies and those that are barely more than a.list of names on a letterhead, there are many run on a part-time basis with insufficient secretarial help. Communication between international secretariats and national chapters is therefore often inadequate or irregular. Moreover, certain broad disciplines are covered by a number of overlapping international organisations with insufficient liaison. Indeed, some international societies have obviously outlived their usefulness, and C.I.O.M.S. is to give serious thought to a radical pruning so that the tree will gather fresh strength. The policy of C.I.O.M.S. will be developed in the light of these considerations. The Council will strive to have its recommendations regarding meetings more widely accepted and will encourage a functional regrouping of international organisations in certain fields. The Council will also suggest to member organisations the study of certain questions, such as geographical pathology and controlled clinical trials. Help will be given, as in the past, to those organisations which will undertake work in documentation, bibliography, and terminology and nomenclature. To create a body of opinion favourable to the Council’s policy, C.I.O.M.S. intends to enlist the cooperation of the leading national medical institutions in each country. Contacts have existed with national academies, colleges, research centres, and prominent national societies, but formal relationships are needed. Accordingly, the articles of association of C.I.O.M.S. were amended to enable one national institution per State to become an associate member, and thus help to shape the Council’s policy and programme. At the close of its fourth general assembly, C.I.O.M.S. is in a better position to attain its objective. It does not seek to impose its views on its members but simply to advise, encourage, and coordinate. Voluntary organisations, if they can accept enough self-discipline to correctthe faults which are the price of their independence, have an essential part to play in the scientific world of today. a
Running Commentary by Peripatetic Correspondents As I was dreaming up the Bakerloo to the R.S.M. the other evening a seductive notice caught my eye. Advertise in this space," it said, for less than ls. a week." To me this was a new and original suggestion. To think that I could have a lump of my narcissistic ego travelling from the Elephant to Stanmore and back being stared at by millions of people. What would I put(ME) FOR CONSULTANT ", obviously. The idea had other possibilities. How about sending someone a year’s subscription by way of an original Christmas present ? Or even better, leaving a space in perpetuity in a will to use as they thought fit. But science won in the end, and by the time the collector was poring over my shredded ticket I had worked out a new projective technique in succession to our old and invalid friend, the Rorschach. A
During the past three years, C.I.O.M.S. has done its utmost to promote these distinctive types of international gatherings by giving advice asked for by its member
C.I.O.M.S. has granted
England Now
.
’
’
The instructions for my A mad uncle has left you advertise what you like for the
test run:
space in an Underground train to of your life. What would you put ? A nice neat device, no elaborate equipment needed: now to validate it. The first thing to do was to give the test to a large a
rest
and
representative population and correlate the replies with something. My wife was ready to hand, and her answer was simple: Good second-hand pram. wanted", and then " Daily woman to do the rough." That, I decided, was definitely diagnostic. Fred was in the commonroom reading The Worker, so I asked him. " Ban the H-Bomb," he thought, " or Underground Movements of the World Unite." One of my more sadistic colleagues suggested " This space is yours for only 3d. a week " to cause havoc in the inquiries department of London Transport. My study continues, so Watch This Space for exciting new developments in applied psychology. "
*
*
*
" A little bit of this and a little bit of that", then a brisk stir with his glass rod, an admiring glance at upraised armsand the cheapjack handed down the half-filled glass. length, " Try it,"" he coaxed, his nose twitching with the strong scent of prey. The greatest herbal medicine since the discovery of America and Peruvian bark." With his ingratiating manner and rolling eyes he was the counterpart of Chaucer’s Pardoner. In fact, he quoted with a leer, " My theme is always one and ever was-Radix malorum est Cupiditas." This impressed ushere indeed was a man of letters. I was pushed forward by the resilient ring of interested spectators. " Come sir, the flavour is unique, and the effect miraculous. The ingredients are purely from Mother Nature, untouched by human hand. Clears the catarrh, flushes the system, regulates the digestion-" Curiously watched, I sipped it with growing appreciation-" steadies the brain, sweetens the breath, sparkles the eyes "-Not at all bad until the chalky sediment settled on my tongue and yet I resisted adding " polishes your buttons " at the usual affront-" and makes your hair curl ". Being stone bald I was grateful he didn’t call me Curly. Though diffident and dazed I acted the go-betweenhanding the small assorted bottles into the crowd and receiving a large silver coin in exchange. The policeman turned the comer-our stock was half sold-and as we hadn’t got a hawker’s licence we had to beat it. But isn’t it a wonderful way to get rid of all those samples that lie on our shelves gathering dust ? *
*
*
Our nearby university city runs an ideal cinema where the films are good, the seats are bookable, and there are no advertisements. Last week we went with some trepidation to see Garbo in her 24-year-old film Queen Christina. And how worth while. After a little laughter at the old conventions of the cinema, all ages, from undergraduates onwards, were enveloped in her portrait of an intelligent woman giving her crown, her riches, her country, her everything, for love. A glorious piece of