Theories of personality: Primary sources and research

Theories of personality: Primary sources and research

406 Book reviews The Adolescents in the University by Dr. Brian Dave),, Menstrual Disorders by Dr. Philip Hopkins; Observations on Emotional Sweatin...

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Book reviews

The Adolescents in the University by Dr. Brian Dave),, Menstrual Disorders by Dr. Philip Hopkins; Observations on Emotional Sweating during the Menstrual Cycle by Dr. Pamela MacKinnon and Psychosomatic Aspects of Acne Vulgaris are of particular interest and well worth reading. The book as a whole, however, at the price stated, is hardly likely to command a wide readership, since it is neither authoritative enough for the specialist nor general enough for wider appeal. P. H. CONNELL

Theories of Personality: Primary Sources and Research. Edited by GARDNER LINDZEY and CALVIN S. HALL. John Wiley, New York. pp. 543.53s. THlS book aims at presenting an up-to-date account of the major personality theories. The policy adopted has been to present certain original writings of the theorists, including Freud, Jung, Adler, Murray, Lewin, Allport, Eysenck, Rogers, and Murphy, and to set these against current research which has direct bearing on these theories. The "primary source" material has been, of course, carefully selected according to certain criteria, e.g. that it is typical of the theorist himself, and that the material is central to the position adopted by the theorist. In this respect most people will feel that Lindzey and Hall have been very successful. On the other hand, in selecting from current empirical studies, the editors have deliberately adopted a bias (e.g. choosing contributions which tend to confirm rather than negate the theory in question) which many readers might think would be misleading and unwise. In principle the idea of linking original writings to current experimental investigation appears sound; it is more doubtful than this idea can be successfully carried out in practice on the scale adopted by Lindzey and Hall. However, these editors have produced a book which is likely to gain great popularity among students, researchers and teachers of Psychology and related disciplines. H. R. BEECH

L. J. RATHER: Mind and Body in Eighteenth Century Medicine--A Study Based on Jerome Gaub's De Regimine Mentis. The Wellcome Historical Medical Library (1965). pp. xii : 275. 30s. JEROME GAUB was the Professor of Medicine and Chemistry at Leiden from 1734-1775, a pupil of Boerhaave, a distinguished clinician, and three times Rector of the University. He was the author of two little known essays on psychosomatic medicine, which Dr. Rather has now translated from the original Latin, copiously annotated and used to illustrate eighteenth century concepts of body and mind. De Regimine Mentis was published as two essays in 1747 and 1763 and each went into several editions. The first essay was translated into English in the latter part of the 18th century, the second has not been previously translated. Dr. Rather has interspersed the translated text with commentaries, which relate Gaub's ideas to those of both ancient and contemporary writers. The result is one of the most detailed expositions of 18th century thought in this field available to us, even though the method makes for somewhat hard reading. To those of us familiar with the medical literature of the 18th century, there is little that is original in Gaub's work, it is Dr. Rather's own learning that makes this volume so interesting and valuable. There are too few studies such as this, and the Wellcome Historical Medical Library is to be congratulated on this excellent addition to its publications. The book is beautifully printed and produced and is remarkably cheap. DENIS LEIGIt

Clio Medica: Acta Academiae 1nternationalis Historiae Medicinae: Edited by MARCEL FLORK~N. Pergamon Press, Oxford.

Volume 1, November 1965.

THIS new journal is the official organ of the International Academy of the History of Medicine, founded in 1962. Papers will be accepted in English, French, German, ltalian, Russian and Spanish, and this first issue contains communications in English, French and German. There is a distinguished