- Email: [email protected]
Training in Citizenship.
541
attack, but rather has made the circumstances more tolerable; and it is this growing bravery which has become a feature of our psychology, and which accounts for the fact that a short relief from
invariably
strain is almost
followed by
a
Annotations. "
recovery of balance.
Training
INSINCERITY IN CASES OF WAR
prophylaxis
in Citizenship. responsibility has never
a success
THE Harveian Oration of the will ofjjondon at 4
Physicians Sattndby,
Dr. Robert
LITERARY will contribute
Royal College
be delivered at the
of
College by
o’clock, on Thursday, Oct. 18th. INTELLIGENCE. - Lord Rhondda
an
introduction to the
new
edition of Sir
William Crookes’s book on "The Wheat Problem," which Messrs. Longmans will shortly publish. An additional on Future Wheat Supplies has been contributed to the book by Sir R. Henry Rew, K.C.B.
chapter ’
WAR EMERGENCY FUND OF THE ROYAL MEDICAL BENEVOLENT FUND.-At a meeting held in London on
July 31st last it was
INJURY.
A RECENT number of the Paris Médical contains essay on insincerity as a feature of certain cases among the wounded which, though its conclusions an
been of in this country and the adolescent boy or girl exposed to the full brunt of independence without any previous experience often succumbs to attacks of wrongheadedness, with results which may in one social class lead only to distressful family relations and in another to collision with external authority. The recent outbreak of juvenile crime is an example of the latter which cannot be set aside as a matter solely for punitive action. The Bishop of BIRMINGHAM in a recent letter to the Times describes with accuracy and restraint the nature of the complaint and goes on to put his finger upon its cause. Reasonable obedience to authority and regard for the demands of the social necessities of the community are, he says, almost dead in the vast mass of the youth of the land, as a natural and inevitable consequence of the fact that the growing girl and boy receive little assistance in any direction towards a training in citizenship. This has been the prime failure in the national education of the present time, and the result is just as inevitable as the exposure to measles of a community which has had no training in protection against it. Dr. WAKEFIELD considers -andall - thoughtful people will agree with him-that an effective training in citizenship is an essential part of elementary education. But, it is no use now relying upon a future educational system which will come too late to be effective for the upgrowing generation, even if it accomplishes something useful later on. He therefore suggests a combination of existing organisations dealing with young people for the purpose of conference and combined action. The response already made to his letter shows that some at all events, of these organisations are keenly alive to the need of action, which is indeed imperative for the satisfactory solution of the myriads of after-war problems. THE
Ne quid nimis."
complete
decided to hold a general meeting of the medical profession in October in order to nominate a representative general committee and to discuss the best methQds of promoting this appeal. This meeting has now been arranged for Wednesday, Oct. 10th, at the Medical Society’s Rooms, 11, Chandos-street, Cavendish-square, W., at 5 P.M. It is hoped that the meeting will be largely attended in order that the appeal may be well supported and made widely known to the medical profession and the public. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Alfred Pearce Gould, K.C.V.0., will preside.
admittedly tentative, forms an interesting attempt to clear the air and facilitate further investigation. The authors, M. Laignel-Lavastine and M. Paul Courbon, are in charge of the centre, under the military government of Paris, for the are
examination
of soldiers who, in the absence of disease, are suspected of "ill-will." They divide functional states into two groups: in the first the patient is unaware that he is the originator of the troubles of which he complains, and is therefore sincere in making himself out to be ill; here are placed those psychoses characterised by impairment of the critical faculties, notably hysteria. In the second group the abnormal functional manifestations are directly dependent on the conscious "mauvaise volonte" of the patient; to be consciously aware of being the cause of his own complaint is the mark of the simulator. In the latter case the physician, recognising the illegitimate nature of the symptoms complained of, may distinguish three categories: (1) somatic disturbances, com" prising mutilation and pathomimia," or the artificial concoction of a diseased condition; (2) functional disturbances or simulation properly so-called ; (3) functional disturbances grafted on a evidence
of , organic
genuine organic affection, including exaggeration and perseveration. The diagnosis of malingering is really a psychological problem; in other words, the question is whether the patient has or has not the intention of deceiving. Now to detect an individual’s intention is notoriously difficult; it is perhaps more prudent, therefore, merely to say, in a particular case, that there is no reason why the symptoms should not disappear. But this attitude is obviously unsatisfactory when dealing with such cases as M. Laignel-Lavastine and M. Courbon have under their care; their task is to search the reins and the hearts and to face the risk of making If to ourselves our inner man is mistakes. the sport of involuntary or unconscious deceits which render an exact determination of our motives all but impossible, how can we hope The to settle analogous questions in others ? answer is that precisely this intimate deception does not impose or has less power of imposing on the outside observer. Experience shows there are constitutional peculiarities in different individuals which determine the variations in their intention to deceive. There is the pure simulator or malingerer, without apparent excuse, who does not wish to risk his life or to undergo the fatigues of warfare. Among the numerous types who advance some excuse may be distinguished the emotional simulator, who thinks he could never bear the sights of the battle-field; the hypochondriac, who thinks his physique would not stand campaigning ; the man who pretends he would be more useful in less-exposed positions, or declares he has already " done his bit," or excuses himself by instancing the good fortune of some comrade. Often, too, the patient begins to malinger at the instigation of his family or continues to do so to prove to the physician he has
attack, but rather has made the circumstances more tolerable; and it is this growing bravery which has become a feature of our psychology, and which accounts for the fact that a short relief from
invariably
strain is almost
followed by
a
Annotations. "
recovery of balance.
Training
INSINCERITY IN CASES OF WAR
prophylaxis
in Citizenship. responsibility has never
a success
THE Harveian Oration of the will ofjjondon at 4
Physicians Sattndby,
Dr. Robert
LITERARY will contribute
Royal College
be delivered at the
of
College by
o’clock, on Thursday, Oct. 18th. INTELLIGENCE. - Lord Rhondda
an
introduction to the
new
edition of Sir
William Crookes’s book on "The Wheat Problem," which Messrs. Longmans will shortly publish. An additional on Future Wheat Supplies has been contributed to the book by Sir R. Henry Rew, K.C.B.
chapter ’
WAR EMERGENCY FUND OF THE ROYAL MEDICAL BENEVOLENT FUND.-At a meeting held in London on
July 31st last it was
INJURY.
A RECENT number of the Paris Médical contains essay on insincerity as a feature of certain cases among the wounded which, though its conclusions an
been of in this country and the adolescent boy or girl exposed to the full brunt of independence without any previous experience often succumbs to attacks of wrongheadedness, with results which may in one social class lead only to distressful family relations and in another to collision with external authority. The recent outbreak of juvenile crime is an example of the latter which cannot be set aside as a matter solely for punitive action. The Bishop of BIRMINGHAM in a recent letter to the Times describes with accuracy and restraint the nature of the complaint and goes on to put his finger upon its cause. Reasonable obedience to authority and regard for the demands of the social necessities of the community are, he says, almost dead in the vast mass of the youth of the land, as a natural and inevitable consequence of the fact that the growing girl and boy receive little assistance in any direction towards a training in citizenship. This has been the prime failure in the national education of the present time, and the result is just as inevitable as the exposure to measles of a community which has had no training in protection against it. Dr. WAKEFIELD considers -andall - thoughtful people will agree with him-that an effective training in citizenship is an essential part of elementary education. But, it is no use now relying upon a future educational system which will come too late to be effective for the upgrowing generation, even if it accomplishes something useful later on. He therefore suggests a combination of existing organisations dealing with young people for the purpose of conference and combined action. The response already made to his letter shows that some at all events, of these organisations are keenly alive to the need of action, which is indeed imperative for the satisfactory solution of the myriads of after-war problems. THE
Ne quid nimis."
complete
decided to hold a general meeting of the medical profession in October in order to nominate a representative general committee and to discuss the best methQds of promoting this appeal. This meeting has now been arranged for Wednesday, Oct. 10th, at the Medical Society’s Rooms, 11, Chandos-street, Cavendish-square, W., at 5 P.M. It is hoped that the meeting will be largely attended in order that the appeal may be well supported and made widely known to the medical profession and the public. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Alfred Pearce Gould, K.C.V.0., will preside.
admittedly tentative, forms an interesting attempt to clear the air and facilitate further investigation. The authors, M. Laignel-Lavastine and M. Paul Courbon, are in charge of the centre, under the military government of Paris, for the are
examination
of soldiers who, in the absence of disease, are suspected of "ill-will." They divide functional states into two groups: in the first the patient is unaware that he is the originator of the troubles of which he complains, and is therefore sincere in making himself out to be ill; here are placed those psychoses characterised by impairment of the critical faculties, notably hysteria. In the second group the abnormal functional manifestations are directly dependent on the conscious "mauvaise volonte" of the patient; to be consciously aware of being the cause of his own complaint is the mark of the simulator. In the latter case the physician, recognising the illegitimate nature of the symptoms complained of, may distinguish three categories: (1) somatic disturbances, com" prising mutilation and pathomimia," or the artificial concoction of a diseased condition; (2) functional disturbances or simulation properly so-called ; (3) functional disturbances grafted on a evidence
of , organic
genuine organic affection, including exaggeration and perseveration. The diagnosis of malingering is really a psychological problem; in other words, the question is whether the patient has or has not the intention of deceiving. Now to detect an individual’s intention is notoriously difficult; it is perhaps more prudent, therefore, merely to say, in a particular case, that there is no reason why the symptoms should not disappear. But this attitude is obviously unsatisfactory when dealing with such cases as M. Laignel-Lavastine and M. Courbon have under their care; their task is to search the reins and the hearts and to face the risk of making If to ourselves our inner man is mistakes. the sport of involuntary or unconscious deceits which render an exact determination of our motives all but impossible, how can we hope The to settle analogous questions in others ? answer is that precisely this intimate deception does not impose or has less power of imposing on the outside observer. Experience shows there are constitutional peculiarities in different individuals which determine the variations in their intention to deceive. There is the pure simulator or malingerer, without apparent excuse, who does not wish to risk his life or to undergo the fatigues of warfare. Among the numerous types who advance some excuse may be distinguished the emotional simulator, who thinks he could never bear the sights of the battle-field; the hypochondriac, who thinks his physique would not stand campaigning ; the man who pretends he would be more useful in less-exposed positions, or declares he has already " done his bit," or excuses himself by instancing the good fortune of some comrade. Often, too, the patient begins to malinger at the instigation of his family or continues to do so to prove to the physician he has