Other golf news appears on page 23,

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 82, 7 April 1938, Page 16

Other golf news appears on page 23.

TREATMENT OF INSANITY

English mental specialists in asylums and private practice are working on the insulin treatment of schizophrenia, formerly called dementia praecox, a form of insanity, says the "Daily Telegraph and Morning Post." The disease is characterised by what many psychiatrists describe as a "split personality." A typical case is that of Nijinsky, the Russian dancer, who has suffered from schizophrenia for more than twenty years and has benefited from the insulin treatment. He first developed religious mania and gave away crucifixes to everyone he met.

It was reported recently that insulin treatment experiments carried out in Victoria, Australia, over six months effected 70 per cent, of complete cures, compared with 5 per cent, by other means. In cases treated in England, the results, have been nearly as striking.

A leading London specialist said that nine out of ten cases taken in the first eighteen months of the disease had been sufficiently cured for the patierits to return to work.

Last year this specialist and his colleagues treated 24 patients, some of whom had suffered from schizophrenia for as long as twelve years.

Treatment- consists of injecting insulin into- the blood. This reduces the 'sugar content so suddenly that the patient .experiences a severe shock. On recovery from this shock he is often remarkably better. Normally, treatment lasts for about three months.

Although older people sometimes develop schizophrenia, it is chiefly a disease of youth and generally occurs between the ages of 18 and 30. About 20 per cent, of cases recover spontaneously, without treatment. Forms of treatment adopted hitherto have raised this percentage to about 30, and specialists working on the insulin treatment now claim. 50-60 pec cent... of .cures* ,