Mental diseases: a public health problemMay, James Vance
Science
Mental diseases: a public health problem
May, James Vance
Mental health services; Psychology, Pathological
Timme[122] has described a psychic makeup due to subinvolution of the
thymus. "The mental picture presented by these subinvoluted thymic
states is also of great importance, for analogous to their structural
lack of differentiation is their psychic makeup. They remain child-like
in their character, so that they are self-centered; simple in their
mental processes and imitative; looking for protection and care, and
more or less unfitted for the active struggles of life. They are
obstinate and negativistic; if, however, an efficient compensation
takes place, then, although the mental development may have been
delayed, it nevertheless seems finally to reach complete maturity; and
these individuals are among the brightest and most intelligent of their
community." In cases of precocious involution of the thymus he finds
the mental condition to be of chief interest. "They are precocious,
with much initiative, are easily aroused to anger and are resentful.
They have cruel instincts and show little inhibition. Although they
seem far advanced for their years while still young, yet they never
seem thoroughly to mature, and become blocked in early adolescence.
They seem to retain their impulsive, unreasoning characteristics, brook
no restraint and remain constantly a prey to their easily aroused
anger." Of thyroid insufficiency he says: "Mentally, the patient is
dull, sluggish and with little initiative. He moves slowly and thinks
slowly, is extremely forgetful and his lethargy is occasionally
disturbed by outbursts of anger due probably to his maladjustment
to the more quickly moving world about him." In his summary of the
hyperthyroid makeup, Timme says: "Both mind and body are everlastingly
busy. And not only with present problems, but anticipatory of
tomorrow's as well. The patient shows no rest or relaxation. His mind,
filled with echoes of the day's troubles, prevents his falling to sleep
until long after he retires, and he is again awake and immediately on
the "qui vive" as soon as daylight comes." Statistics on endocrine
conditions are unfortunately not available as yet.
CHAPTER XIII
THE MODERN PROGRESS OF PSYCHIATRY
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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