Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

E.C.T. treatment dropped

PA Auckland A pioneer of electric shock therapy, Dr Hiroji Mukasa. abandoned the treatment 15 years ago because he found it caused patients to lose their memory.

The Japanese psychiatrist, who is visiting Auckland as the world president of Rotary International, said yesterday that electric shock therapy initially seemed the cheapest, safest, and surest means of causing convulsions in the treatment of mental illness.

With a colleague he first used the treatment in the late 1930 s when it was also being developed by researchers at the University of Rome.

However, he said such - treatment was found to cause amnesia in patients. “I myself do not use this kind of therapy any longer,” he said. “I prefer drug therapy." An early piece of electric shock therapy equipment developed by Dr Mukasa is kept in the library of the American Psychiatric Association in Washington.

Mr Mukasa established a psychiatric hospital in his home city of Nakatsu.

This article text was automatically generated and may include errors. View the full page to see article in its original form.
Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19821011.2.58

Bibliographic details

Press, 11 October 1982, Page 6

Word Count
158

E.C.T. treatment dropped Press, 11 October 1982, Page 6

E.C.T. treatment dropped Press, 11 October 1982, Page 6