Papers by Michael Fitzgerald
◌̔ The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing̕ , Edmund Burk... more ◌̔ The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing̕ , Edmund Burke. ◌̔ To sin by silence when one should make protest, makes cowards of men̕ , Abraham Lincoln. ◌̔ Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it̕ , G. Santayana. No conflicts of interest 1 Ten Thousand Child murders during the Nazi Child Psychiatry Period Abstract: Background:
The most tragic history of psychiatry was the killing of about one hundred and eighty thousand ps... more The most tragic history of psychiatry was the killing of about one hundred and eighty thousand psychiatric patients under National Socialism. There was a failure of medical ethics and psychiatry was centrally involved. The former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Jim Birley stated, ̔ abuse of practices of all sorts … have always haunted psychiatry̕ .
In psychiatry, there is severe criticism directed at anyone who ̔ diagnoses the dead ̕ . This is ... more In psychiatry, there is severe criticism directed at anyone who ̔ diagnoses the dead ̕ . This is particularly in persons of extraordinary creativity who have brought about a paradigm shift in their discipline. There is considerable overlap with psychiatric autopsies post-suicide and overlap between suspected aetiological factors in psychiatric disorder with those of creativity, which has been recognised for thousands of years. This paper challenges the criticism of diagnosing the dead in psychiatry, when it is part of everyday practice in physical medicine.
According to Leyton (1989), De Salvo had "murdered 13 women and sexually assaulted nearly 1000, w... more According to Leyton (1989), De Salvo had "murdered 13 women and sexually assaulted nearly 1000, which, in fact, seems a likely estimate" Frank (1967) stated that around "the necks of the victims were knotted nylon stockings or other articles of their apparel. Each woman had been sexually molested or assaulted. No clues were found; nothing had been stolen; there was no discernable motive. The victims were, so far as could be determined, modest, inconspicuous, almost anonymous women, leading blameless lives". De Salvo confessed in great detail after being caught.
The history of blaming the mother for psychopathology is a tragic story in psychiatry. This blami... more The history of blaming the mother for psychopathology is a tragic story in psychiatry. This blaming the mother became the geist in child psychiatry and, "blinkered" professionals to more complex multifactorial elements of psychopathology. There was also a misogynistic element to it. It caused enormous unwarranted guilt in mothers. Here, psychiatrists became entrapped by this theory, which alienated them from their patients.
This paper examines the prehistory and history of autism in the first half of the 20 th century. ... more This paper examines the prehistory and history of autism in the first half of the 20 th century. The prehistory focuses on Heller's dementia Infantilis and Bleuler's autism and schizophrenia. The more formal history begins with , and continues with Ssucharewa (1926), which still contains some of the best descriptions of autism, although she called the condition schizoid psychopaths or schizoid personality disorders. There is still debate about when and whether Asperger and Kanner read Ssucharewa (1926), but the paper was republished in German in 1932 and quoted by Kanner, post his 1943 paper. The point is that Ssucharewa publication has precedents. George Frankl, the predecessor of Hans Asperger by many years, in the Heilpadogik Clinic was therefore a key figure in the description of autism in Vienna and later he went to America and worked under Leo Kanner, whom he described autism to. Citation: Fitzgerald, MM. The history of autism in the first half century of the 20 th century: new and revised.
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Papers by Michael Fitzgerald