Psychiatry in Britain one hundred years ago.

Journal of Psychiatry) casually threw out) casually threw out the suggestion that I might write a column the suggestion that I might write a column for the journal similar to one entitled for the journal similar to one entitled 'One Hundred Years Ago', occasionally 'One Hundred Years Ago', occasionally published in the published in the BMJ BMJ. I was immediately in-. I was immediately intrigued and, despite a degree of apprehen-trigued and, despite a degree of apprehension , agreed on the spot. Once I began, sion, agreed on the spot. Once I began, the element of apprehension evaporated: a the element of apprehension evaporated: a job that I feared I might have found a crash-job that I feared I might have found a crashing bore became a labour of love. Suitable ing bore became a labour of love. Suitable items, I discovered, were there in plenty items, I discovered, were there in plenty so that the problem soon became one of ex-so that the problem soon became one of exclusion rather than inclusion. The journals clusion rather than inclusion. The journals systematically trawled, dating from 1885 systematically trawled, dating from 1885 onwards, were the onwards, were the BMJ American Journal of Psychiatry and occa-and occasionally the daily press. The first selected sionally the daily press. The first selected item was published in April 1985, and with item was published in April 1985, and with one exception an item has appeared in one exception an item has appeared in every subsequent issue, now more than every subsequent issue, now more than 250 in total. What I have attempted to do 250 in total. What I have attempted to do in this article is to collate a selected number in this article is to collate a selected number of these items and to categorise them so of these items and to categorise them so that they present a composite of snapshots that they present a composite of snapshots of the passing scene as it impinged on of the passing scene as it impinged on aspects of psychiatry and psychiatrists aspects of psychiatry and psychiatrists (alienists) at the turn of the previous century. (alienists) at the turn of the previous century. No period in history can be considered No period in history can be considered in isolation: history is a continuum, and in isolation: history is a continuum, and any period must be …