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Wörterbuch der psychiatrie und ihrer grenzgebiete (dictionary of psychiatry and its borderlands)
BOOK REVIEWS
Arbeit als Mittel psychiatrischer Therapie (Series zur Theorie und Praxis der medizinischen Psychologie, Vol. 13), by H. HARLFINGER, with a foreword by W. Schulte, 204 pages, Hippokrates, Stuttgart, 1968. Work therapy for mental disorders has a long and chequered history. It was highly thought of by many psychiatrists before Kraepelin. In his historical survey the author points out that in the periods in which the humane treatment of mental disorders was propagated, work therapy always came to the fore. Pinel and Connolly were enthusiastic advocates of this treatment. When mental disorders were viewed as disease entities and believed to be amenable to treatment applied in organic medicine, work therapy tended to go out of fashion. The last great pioneer of work therapy was Hermann Simon of Gfitersloh, who saw 3 great dangers in institutional treatment: idleness, the institutional milieu and lack of responsibility. He advocated real work as an antidote against them. Work therapy is not identical with occupational therapy which became po-
WOrterbuch der Psychiatric und ihrer Grenzgebiete (Dictionary o f Psychiatry and its Borderlands), by C. HARING AND K. H. LEICKERT(with a preface by Prof. H. J. WEITBRECHT), viii + 634 pages, Schattauer, Stuttgart, New York, 1968, D M 86.--. This is a useful book which should be of great help to psychiatrists. Most of the definitions listed (about 9000) have been formulated with great care and accuracy and there are only a few which require correction. Inevitably, there are some omissions. No work of this type can possibly be comprehensive. The authors' task was all the more difficult as they had to take into account the uncertainty about the relationship of psychiatry to neurology still prevailing in Germany. Many purely neurological and neuroanatomical terms which are of no rele-
Nerves and Nerve Injuries, by SYDNEY SUNDERLAND, XV _L 1161 pages, 197 illustrations, Livingstone, Edinburgh and London, 1968, £12 10s. Dr. Sydney Sunderland has been long regarded as one of the outstanding neuroanatomists of his generation. This latest remarkable contribution to the neurological literature to have come from his pen is justly regarded by Sir Francis Walshe, in a characteristic Foreword, as being monumental in scope. The work is huge in concept and in execution and embodies the results of almost a lifetime of study concerning the anatomy, pathology and physiology of the
605
pular more recently. The author of this book, who is a senior member of staff of the University Clinic, Tubingen, attempts to integrate work therapy with present-day psychiatry, especially with group treatment. In his opinion work therapy is the more effective the less the patient is aware of its therapeutic purpose. It should be directed towards a useful end-product that can be seen by the patient. The strengthening of social relationships is one of its components. Industrial therapy as practised in this country does not, in the author's opinion, fall into his concept of work therapy, as in industry the worker aims at personal indirect objectives such as earning a living, supporting a family, etc. It could be argued that by refusing to take the logical step of making work therapy as similar as possible to the patients' occupation in the community, the treatment remains unrealistic and behind times, except for the artisan. By rejecting industrial therapy the author fails to bring work therapy into tune with what work means to most workers today. E. STENGEL
vance to psychiatry have been included. Now that the decision about the separation of psychiatry from neurology in Germany and the other C o m m o n Market countries has been made, the authors ought in future editions of this book to include only those neurological terms which are of interest to the practising psychiatrist. Names of psychiatrists supposed to be of historical importance have also been included. Naturally, German psychiatrists predominate although the reason for the inclusion of some of them is far from clear. Among British names which ought to have been mentioned are those of Pritchard, Haslam and Galton. These are minor criticisms of an excellent book which will no doubt be improved in future editions. E. STENGEL peripheral nerves and of the effects of trauma upon them. While at first sight, in view of the title of the work, it seems odd to find no mention of terms such as neuropathy, polyneuropathy or demyelination in the index, it is clear that the author's purpose has been to concentrate almost entirely upon traumatic lesions of peripheral nerves and upon the anatomical, physiological and pathological knowledge required for the full understanding of their effects. The fact that he has omitted from consideration experimental neuropathies as well as those disease processes of inflammatory, toxic or metabolic origin which cause disordered functioning of the peripheral nerves
J. neurol. Sci., 1969, 9:603-606
Arbeit als Mittel psychiatrischer Therapie (Series zur Theorie und Praxis der medizinischen Psychologie, Vol. 13), by H. HARLFINGER, with a foreword by W. Schulte, 204 pages, Hippokrates, Stuttgart, 1968. Work therapy for mental disorders has a long and chequered history. It was highly thought of by many psychiatrists before Kraepelin. In his historical survey the author points out that in the periods in which the humane treatment of mental disorders was propagated, work therapy always came to the fore. Pinel and Connolly were enthusiastic advocates of this treatment. When mental disorders were viewed as disease entities and believed to be amenable to treatment applied in organic medicine, work therapy tended to go out of fashion. The last great pioneer of work therapy was Hermann Simon of Gfitersloh, who saw 3 great dangers in institutional treatment: idleness, the institutional milieu and lack of responsibility. He advocated real work as an antidote against them. Work therapy is not identical with occupational therapy which became po-
WOrterbuch der Psychiatric und ihrer Grenzgebiete (Dictionary o f Psychiatry and its Borderlands), by C. HARING AND K. H. LEICKERT(with a preface by Prof. H. J. WEITBRECHT), viii + 634 pages, Schattauer, Stuttgart, New York, 1968, D M 86.--. This is a useful book which should be of great help to psychiatrists. Most of the definitions listed (about 9000) have been formulated with great care and accuracy and there are only a few which require correction. Inevitably, there are some omissions. No work of this type can possibly be comprehensive. The authors' task was all the more difficult as they had to take into account the uncertainty about the relationship of psychiatry to neurology still prevailing in Germany. Many purely neurological and neuroanatomical terms which are of no rele-
Nerves and Nerve Injuries, by SYDNEY SUNDERLAND, XV _L 1161 pages, 197 illustrations, Livingstone, Edinburgh and London, 1968, £12 10s. Dr. Sydney Sunderland has been long regarded as one of the outstanding neuroanatomists of his generation. This latest remarkable contribution to the neurological literature to have come from his pen is justly regarded by Sir Francis Walshe, in a characteristic Foreword, as being monumental in scope. The work is huge in concept and in execution and embodies the results of almost a lifetime of study concerning the anatomy, pathology and physiology of the
605
pular more recently. The author of this book, who is a senior member of staff of the University Clinic, Tubingen, attempts to integrate work therapy with present-day psychiatry, especially with group treatment. In his opinion work therapy is the more effective the less the patient is aware of its therapeutic purpose. It should be directed towards a useful end-product that can be seen by the patient. The strengthening of social relationships is one of its components. Industrial therapy as practised in this country does not, in the author's opinion, fall into his concept of work therapy, as in industry the worker aims at personal indirect objectives such as earning a living, supporting a family, etc. It could be argued that by refusing to take the logical step of making work therapy as similar as possible to the patients' occupation in the community, the treatment remains unrealistic and behind times, except for the artisan. By rejecting industrial therapy the author fails to bring work therapy into tune with what work means to most workers today. E. STENGEL
vance to psychiatry have been included. Now that the decision about the separation of psychiatry from neurology in Germany and the other C o m m o n Market countries has been made, the authors ought in future editions of this book to include only those neurological terms which are of interest to the practising psychiatrist. Names of psychiatrists supposed to be of historical importance have also been included. Naturally, German psychiatrists predominate although the reason for the inclusion of some of them is far from clear. Among British names which ought to have been mentioned are those of Pritchard, Haslam and Galton. These are minor criticisms of an excellent book which will no doubt be improved in future editions. E. STENGEL peripheral nerves and of the effects of trauma upon them. While at first sight, in view of the title of the work, it seems odd to find no mention of terms such as neuropathy, polyneuropathy or demyelination in the index, it is clear that the author's purpose has been to concentrate almost entirely upon traumatic lesions of peripheral nerves and upon the anatomical, physiological and pathological knowledge required for the full understanding of their effects. The fact that he has omitted from consideration experimental neuropathies as well as those disease processes of inflammatory, toxic or metabolic origin which cause disordered functioning of the peripheral nerves
J. neurol. Sci., 1969, 9:603-606