Seminar might be of interest

[eric]

Thought I'd let you know about free seminar that someone might be interested in.

Any other seminars about?

Eric



Psychiatry and Emancipation: The last 50 years - Suman Fernando & David Ingleby

Thursday 21st May, 17:30 -20:00

Kingsley Hall, Powis Rd, London E3 3HJ

Prof. Suman Fernando: "50 years in the struggle against racism in psychiatry - from Asylums to Transcultural Psychiatry" 

Prof. David Ingleby: "R. D. Laing and the theory and practice of liberation: anti-psychiatry, critical psychiatry and wider struggles for emancipation"

David Baker from Kingsley Hall will offer a guided tour of Kingsley Hall including the cell where Gandhi stayed in 1931.

This seminar exploring the impact of R.D. Laing's work is part of the Health and History seminar series, which aims to explore issues in public health from a historical perspective. Seminars are funded by the Support Unit for Minority Ethnic Health Research and chaired by John Eversley.

Flyer: http://www.sumanfernando.com/Psychiatry%20and%20Emancipation%20Meeting.pdf

The seminar is free & all are welcome. Please register by contacting enrico.panizzo@thpct.nhs.uk (0207 092 5620)

[wilfb]

Hi Eric,

Cretainly I would have been attracted to the R. D. Laing seminars had I been able to attend. A true radical of psychiatry with a troubled personal life... You will appreciate that because of the distance this is one I will have to miss.

I personally knew several other, perhaps much less well known radicals - Eugene Cheesemond - a consultant who treated drug addicts in her own (hospital owned) home with outstanding success. She was forced to resign eventually from her hospital post at the time for breaking the rules... Patients are treated in hospital! Her home went with her job...

And several others, including Dr Boardman - again outstandingly successful in treating long term mentally ill patients in the 1960's. The changes were phenomenal (for the better) because of his radical regimes. He was forced out of his post as medical Director (superintendent) by the old guard on grounds which included not being in his office by 9am and socialising with locals in a local pub!! Radicals - emigrated all. Canada I think. Our serious loss...  If anyone has the chance of getting to the RD Laing seminars, don't hesitate. An absolutely brilliant Galswegian drinker with a disastrous home life - but how exceptional his theories in psychiatry....

[eric]

Talking of radicals makes me remember my student days and the consultant psychiatrist who treated patients according to his unique ideas of causes of mental health illnesses. For example he believed everyone is allergic to something that we eat and he had nursing staff do mass allergy tests on everyone, which involves starving them for 3 days with nothing but distilled water and bedrest. Then take each food item they usually consume, liquidise it in distilled water, draw up in 1mL in syringe and put under their tongue. Take pulse before and 1 minute , 5 minutes and 10 minutes after; if pulse raises by more than 5 beats per minute this shown they were allergic to that particular foodstuff. Wait an hour and start with next item. This would go on for a week. They would then be discharged with list of food items to avoid.

He also believed our emotions and moods are guided / directed by the moon. Rationale was that since oceans of this world move with moon and we are made up of 70% water, it only 'logical' that our moods will also be affected/influenced by position of moon. He had us observe and monitor patients moods in morning and during day. If patient was in poor mood, we then changed position of their beds 10 degrees each day until we found 'their' position where they felt better in the morning. He claimed this was their true magnetic north. Sounds OK, except one would go into ward and all the beds faced totally different ways.

As I was a student I asked him if anyone else agreed with his theories. He admitted that he failed his consultants examination 7 times because of his beliefs, so on 8th attempt, he stated traditional causes + treatments on paper, passed exam and ever since totally ignored traditional psychiatry methods.

He would prescribe dose of medication according to cycle of moon and highest dosage going around both times of equinox. He said more self harm, 'accidents', etc occurred around time of full moon and a look at A+E statistics would confirm his theories.

He was certainly a character and doing modified insulin therapy even on Christmas day give us all work to do despite holiday time.

I'd love to go as well but again unable too BUT would love report by anyone able too.

[backman]

Anyone down in the South West of England in July might be interested in this 2 day History of Nursing workshop in Exeter,looks interesting but don't think I can make it.
http://centres.exeter.ac.uk/medhist/conferences/history_nursing/History%20of%20Nursing%20Workshop_2.doc

[backman]

Another in Leeds this time; http://www.nursing.manchester.ac.uk/ukchnm/events/womenandwar.pdf