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Show Most of us would admit that the questions and issues which psychiatry faces are some of the most important and fascinating in medicine, but we are all skeptical about psychiatry's answers. As freshmen and sophomores, we were impressed with the new terminology, and the extensive theorization, but when we got on the words we were impressed with the poor fit between theory and patient. But you can't knock a department for not understanding that which is not yet understood, and we are grateful that the theories weren't pushed on us as totally true. We appreciate the influence of Dr. Branch's conservative eclecticism in which he seems to be unwilling to hastily reject the poor state of historical psychiatric theory and ye1· he keeps an eye on the new, more controlled and empirical approaches to psychiatric problems. During the first year, Dr. Clark introduced us to the history of psychiatry and to some of the current experimental approaches and data. He was witty, and his lectures were informative and entertaining. We goulishly enjoyed his repeated demonstrations of interaction traits via his murderous mice. In the sophomore year, Dr. Bliss demonstrated and discussed specific mental diseases with the aid of ward patients. These sessions were most helpful, we believe, in that they gqve us some exposure to Dr. Bliss' skepticism. They were also entertaining but not infrequently disconcerting, as many of us saw old acquaintances presented as patients. During the junior year we spent four weeks on the psych. wards. This was the first real exposure to mental illness for most of us, and we felt most acutely the frustrations involved in dealing with psychiatric patients. Despite our compulsiveness we were forced to confront the nebulous; despite our inclinations otherwise, we were forced to accept people who were bent on rejecting us; and despite our frustration, we profited by the experience. "Li'I Orphan Annie's gunnin' for me." "O. leukogaster was fun, but I'm going to teach these little fellows to ski the shutes with me." "Sexual behavior is not only requisite for the survival of the Species, but it is also fun." •CW• ~ ..... , ,. ' , "There's a lot of difference between us men and those crazy women. Say Buddy, you got a smoke?" |
