Interview with Dr. E. Mapother--London--June 2, 1931
I told Mapother the RF. was not disposed to go into the scheme he proposed on the scale requested, i.e. endowment of six posts and supplement for director; I thought it doubtful if good candidates could be found for so many posts at once, and that experience had shown that slower procedure was surer than rapid development. He replied that it would be advantageous to have several fields developed at the same time, so that advanced teaching could be done and that, being no advocate of "patriotic psychiatry" he had no objection to taking men from other countries if they are not available in England.
Recent developments include:
The creation of psychiatric out-patient departments at three municipal general hospitals (Mile End, St. Mary's and St. Charles'), with Mapother in charge. In charge of each of these is a medical officer previously trained at the Maudsley.
The voluntary treatment at Mental Hospitals--a result of the Mental Treatment Act--is going well. This is centralized at the Maudsley.
Treatment of acute cases during their first year under non-voluntary commitment is now established at Ewell Hospital, and a building for a convalescent home is being looked for by the Maudsley authorities.
A movement is on foot to arrange for ten psychiatric observation wards in general hospitals of the London County Council. About 7,000 cases a year are now admitted for observation purposes. About half of these become permanent commitments.
The London County Council has its general hospitals under the direction of its Central Public Health Committee, of which Menzies is the chief. The Adult Insane and the Imbeciles are under the Mental Hospitals Committee, which probably will be brought eventually under the Public Health Committee, but probably not within the next five years.
Mapother referred me to the following persons likely to be of interest to meet:
Dr. Adeline Roberts, of the Mental Hospitals Committee;
Dr. Bernard Hart, of University College;
Ruth Darwin, of the Board of Control;
Dr. McCowan, of Cardiff;
Alan Gregg.