ELLIOT STANDFIELD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21024, 13 May 1930, Page 3

ELLIOT STANDFIELD.

INTERESTING MENTAL CONDITION: RESULT OF MEDICAL - EXAMINATION. TEMPORARY DETENTION AT SEA.OLIFF. The case of Elliot Cresswell Standfield, who had previously bpen charged with being an idle and disorderly person, was brought to a close in the City Pdlice Court yesterday morning, when the magistrate (Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) came to the conclusion that the mental condition of the accused was such as to warrant a recommendation being forwarded to the Minister of Justice embodying a proposal for the detention of Standfield in the Seacliff Mental Hospital for a period of three mouths. Medical evidence tendered by Dr A. R. Falconer in respect to an examination of the accused made by himself and Dr do Lautour led to this decision, although the issue was at times disconcertingly clotided by reason of the use of many medical terms and vehicles of expression which bewildered the magistrate no less than they puzzled Senior Sergeant Quartermain, who conducted the cflse tor the police. If Appeared from the medical testimony that Stabdfield suffers from an obscure mental disorder not far removed from actual deficiency, which takes the form of a very real fear of open spaces. The doctor in the ease, however, was not prt pared to state that Standfield was certifiable, Mr C. J. L, White appeared for Standfield, and Mr J. W. Scurr, chairman of the Benevolent (Committee of the Otago Hospital Board, and with him Mr H. E. Barrowclough representing the board also, Were also in court. Mr White referred to the fact that Sthndfield’s case had been brought before the Minister of Health (Mr A. J. Stallworthy) by Sir Charles Statfaam and read a telegram from the Minister in which Mr Stallworthy said he had communicated with the Hospital Board to sue l if anything could be done for Standfield. However, he pointed out that he could not coerce the board in any way. The care of indigent people was purely thn Hospital Board’s affair, medical evidence, Df A. ft. Falconer’ gave evidence as. to having examined Standfield 10 years ago at the instance of Mr Talboys, of the Benevolent Institute. Witness found him to be suffering fro® a form of psycho UetiroSis which took the form of fear of Wide spaces, lack of concentration, and which made him a man unable to fend for' himself without aid. Standfield was kept in the home as a result of Witness’s diagnosis of the ease.Mr Batrowclotigb challenged this statement, but the witness said, that he would repeat the Statements. The records of the board would not show this to be the case nS he had a verbal statement of the position from Mr Talboys. A REPORT FROM DOCTORS. When Mr White asked witness to read the report of the latest examination of Standfield, Dr Falconer protested that it was a document for doctors. He had not expected to be placed in the witness box when he sought to indicate along, •«hat lines the defendant Should hr. examined. After all, he was an old servant ’f the Hospital Board, He Would reau ■fie report, however, but he would like n stress the tact that the findings therein hould not be taken ah conclusive. The magistrate: Not many medical cpinions are very conclusive, are they? In answer to (Mr White witness said the man was deteriorating. He could not say whether there were any criminal tendencies, but in his present mental state he might turn in that direction. He should be examined very carefully.' ' AN EXPERT DIAGNOSIS. The report before the court simply con firmed his previous opinion. It should not be accepted as conclusive, howevei, as they had not had enough time in its ! preparation. The report read: —Stand field appears to be an unstable individual With an heriditary neurotic tendency, who is suffering from a form of chronic psycho neurosis, which is now recognised as a minor form of psychosis or mental disorder. He possesses intellectual attainments of an apparently high, though somewhat superficial, character. He has been harassed all his life with the emotloi of fear, amounting to obsession. He was found ten years ago to be suffering from agoraphobia (the fear of wide spaces), which must be regarded as an .index to his mental make-up. He still suffers from agoraphobia. Standfield claims to belong to the dependant class, because he feels that he “ lacks mental Concentration and the power of sticking it out.” He would be quite content, ho says, to be given an allowance at the public expense; and thus obtain food and decency and be allowed to go about the world at large among intelligent men, which he says is his right atmosphere. In supporting the fairness of this claim he stresses the opinion that he is the victim of heredity and environment. He gives a history of his fathers temperameat, which would show that there is in his own case a distinctly- hereditary predisposition to nervous disease. He says that he has been so long in an institution that he “ lacks ambition,” and that he “ now has no desire, nor has the ability, to earn a crust” himself, even to supplement any allowance that might be given him at the public expense. For instance, he would not feed chickens, “ because there was more than that in it—there was the cleaning of the henhouse out—this required a certain , amount of mentality, which he did not possess. He would not do it because it would give people a chance to laugh at him. He would like to undertake journalism, but he had been toid that his ability in that direction was waning and his articles now lacked mental punch. When v walking along, if he chanced to come on a wide space he would at once halt, “ bring himself to mental attention, keep his mind concentrated, survey the scone, and then come back from it ”; he refused to admit that he was afraid, but “there was a feeling of mental alarm—-don’t go.” This all goes to show that Standfield',is moibidly self-centred, and has failed to adjust himself normally to his life’s situation. He is quietly egotistical, and’considers that he can be “ a very interesting man.’’ This seems to he an offset to bis constitutional obsession of fear, and his sense of inferiority. He can sec no incongruity in claiming to belong to the. dependant class on account of his “ lack of meutal concentration and power of sticking-it-out,” and at the same time claiming that he is not in mental ill-health. He is an individual whose emotional mental makeup renders him unable to figh.t the battle of life in the outside world unaided. The question arises how best is this aid to be given. The anti-social nature of the claim of an apparently able-bodied man to he a dependant on society naturally arouses the antipathetic instincts of the herd, and the first thing that society seeks to do is to punish snob an individual by a term of imprisonment to make him change his viewpoint, and conform to the mores of the herd. To some extent in Standfield’s case this view appears to obtain justification by his apparently deliberate spirit of contrariness and his. desire “ to ■ beat the hospital board ” by ' refusing all work. There may be. how-

ever, another viewpoint, which may be equally correct, and that is that his'illbalanced mental make-up induces him to take this coarse, in order to restore himself in his own sense of self-respect—in that the claim he makes as a dependant is a reasonable one, and' that society should recognise it as such in justice to himself, as, being the victim of heredity and environment. A term of imprisonment, or repeated terms, would probably only further embitter a mentally unstable individual, and would not treat the cause. It’is a method that does not appeal to the modern view of psychiatry. The second alternative is treatment in an institution, where he will be under medical attention and the kind, sympathetic, but firm control of a staff that have been trained to deal with" psychoneurotic individuals. Some form of work is an essential therapeutic measure. Stich an individual may be guided, but canuot be driven. Psychoneurosis is not usually a condition that comes under supervision by certification. But often such patients are on the border line, and are admitted , J-h mental hospitals as voluntary boarders. to this course Standfield himself strongly objects. It is only a question of time, however,, that under the deteriorating mode of his present life Standfield will, if he has not yet, come under the necescertification. A period under skilled observation would decide, more exactly than Our examination has shown in the limited time at our disposal, the full extent of the abnormality of his mental condition, and what is the best course to adopt in his interests. Standfield is fit for fight work, but not of a heavy character. He complains of breathlessness on exertion, and there is some evidence of enlargement of the heart. We would suggest that a remand be granted to enable the medical Superintendent of the Seacliff Mental Hospital to interview Standfield with a view to his advice being obtained. It may be that if Standfield were willing to go as a voluntary boarder to Seacliff for a limited period to receive treatment for his mental condition (or his lack of menth) .concentration, as he himself terms it) that he might be enabled to return to Dunedin to undertake Some work, and be Under the supervision of the psychiatric clinic of the Dunedin Hospital, under the authority of which he should be Visited at his home a lid work by an adequately trained psychiatric social service worker, QUESTION OP CERTIFICATION, In answer to Senior Sergeant Quartermain witness said that light work would bo a good thing for Standfield, Feeding a few’fowls Should suit him, but witness was in favour of a close and careful guidance such as would be possible in a mental hospital. Senior Sergeant Quartcrmalli: Is he certifiable? Withess: I will not say anything about that. It is a question I have asked doctors to decide. 'Senior Sergeant Qnartermain; Should I-apply for his reception at Seacliff under the Mental Defectives Act? Witness! I think he should go as a voluntary patient. Senior Sergeant Qnartermain: It is li<|ood talking like that. Mr White and I have discussed it with him and ho would not consider it. Standfield; I’d rather go to gaol than Ko to Seacliff under any circumstances. Senior Sergeant Qnartermain: What would you say of a man who said that the country could keep the King in idleness, so why not him? Mr White: Why bring up that piece ot dirt again? The magistrate; Mr White, you must hot use expressions such as " piece of dirt in court. I will not have it. Sir White; Weil, I object to the reference to the King, It is Hot true anti is prejudicial to the defendant. Senior Sergeant Qufirtermain: You need not Worry about anything prejudicial;'! am ns anxious to help the man as yon are. After considerable cross-examination of Witness Senior Sergeant Qnartermain suggested that an application be made for his admission to Seacliff Mental Hospital. Mr Barrowclough Stressed the fact that the board was not concerned in the matter beyond its determination not to keep him in the Benevolent Institution. The board had no one to make him work, and the Benevolent institution was not a house of correction. RECOMMENDATION TO MINISTER. The magistrate said that he had come to the conclusion that Standfleid’s mental state should be, further investigated. He would therefore recommend to the Minister of Justice that Standfield should be. detained in Seacliff Mental Hospital for observation for three months. The defendant was remanded in custody nntil the Minister’s pleasure was known.