Pharmacological, Convulsive and Other Somatic Treatments in Psychiatry

Abstract

It is good to welcome again a familiar friend, dressed in his old, comfortable clothes but refurbished with a few new bits of finery. Regretfully, one must also record the death of Paul Hock, the previous coauthor. Dr. Hanns Hippius of Germany has replaced him as Kalinowsky's associate. In less than a quarter of a century, this book has gone through four editions. The present one weighs twice as much as the original. In the current volume, "pharmacological" has replaced "shock treatments" as the key word in the title. Despite this, electric shock therapy (EST), insulin, and psychosurgery occupy the major portion of the book, namely 175 pages; and pharmacotherapy, 150 pages. Regardless of one's personal viewpoint concerning treatment methods, the sections on nonpharmacological somatic therapies have at least great historical importance. Kalinowsky continues to advocate insulin coma treatments and states, "... this method should be retained as an important tool