'Your daughter has schizophrenia," I told the woman.' (E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., Surviving Schizophrenia, Preface to the First Edition, 1988: edition 2001 p. [xxi]).

That is followed by a short dialogue which can be, presumably, examined by any reasonably intelligent and prudent man, as well as the entirety of this text.

WHAT exactly was that was said to be had by the daughter of the woman considered (as above) is, obviously, the subject-matter of this text, as indicated by its title.

As a matter of reasonable inquiry I have tried for 'schizophrenia, the definition of' in the Index of the book (edition 2001, p. 507). I did not find such an exact entry : the nearest seemed 'history of, 16-19' and 'introduction of the term, 45'.

The 'introduction of the term' , p. 45, has it, 'Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911' [?]* introduced 'the term "schizophrenia" meaning in German a splitting of the various parts of the thought process' ; this within a paragraph which I would recommend any scientist in the world consider with some care.

    * As a matter of prudency in research I cannot accept the date given without verification — this I have not yet done, please be informed that I do not at this writing know the exact date based on any sources I could consider reliable.

Never mind that 'schizophrenia' is not a German word : it was coined from the Greek, 'schizo', splitting, akin to numerous terms in the Indo-European languages having to do with the physical separation, cutting etc. : confer the Latin secare, and legions of affiliated terms in practically every Indo-European language — and 'phrenos', mind, akin to 'frenetic', possibly akin to the English 'brain' (but the author Torrey does not tell the reader anything about this).

The 'history of', pp. 16-19, is then the history of what Eugene Bleuler had termed 'schizophrenia'. But this definition of the term attributed, correctly, to Bleuler is nevertheless vague, the 'splitting of the various parts of the thought process'.

Does the thought process have parts, the reader ? Is it at all clear that the thought process has parts ? Or can have parts, or what were those writers speaking about : nay, the alleged 'parts' of the thought process being said to be capable of splitting (further splitting?).

(A description of thought process, if done by some authors who had any idea of what they were speaking about, would must needs consist of parts (parts of speech). This might actually be the crux of the matter.
    If there be any possible validity in the term 'schizophrenia', it could be interpreted as someone's mistaking the diversity of nomenclature for diversity in nature, or, mistaking the verbal distinctions for natural divisions. This might have something to do with what Bleuler himself was fumbling at, though not finding enough. But you will not find anything about this in the text here considered).

The section on the 'history of' this disease is titled "Is Schizophrenia of Recent Origin ?" (p. 16). But what exactly is being here treated of as having had an origin is still quite unclear. The "hallmark auditory hallucinations" (p. 16) suggest a kind of definition of something — but it is I (this writer) who has told the reader that and not the author Torrey.

This section of the book contains several reports of some strange behaviours, from the literature, whether scientific or belles lettres. It has been not rare, for people to do or experience various strange things. But to say that Haslam in England and Pinel in France 'in the early 1800s both described cases that were certainly schizophrenia' (p. 17) does require the blind faith by the reader in the competency of the author to decide on such a question.

How come those cases were certainly 'schizophrenia' when there is little if anything at all certain about said 'schizophrenia' itself ?

Not Only for "Specialists"

The text has been published as "a manual for families, consumers, and providers" (the cover note, statements conspicuously set). What are the consumers consuming in this instance seems very ambiguous a proposition.

Then there is the providers. The providers of schizophrenia, or of what, Dr. Torrey ? I am tired of guessing what the providers provide on this one market.

This thing is advertised as "Understanding .. Schizophrenia, etc." It costs $15.00, I find on the cover. The inference is unmistakable, to part with $15.00 should lead, in exchange, to understanding the subject-matter under consideration.

"Understanding" by an author who did not know the derivation of the term by which his treatise is titled ?

To any reasonably intellgent and prudent man I would propose that it is not normal for any competent author to be entirely ignorant of, or to neglect to learn about, the etymology of the term under which his subject-matter is being presented.

Did not Dr. Torrey know that the term in question was formed from the Greek (and was not a German word), or did he knowingly make false statements ?

The preceding is a question, and not a verdict. However, I would assert the existence of Probable Cause (confer the following).

WPT, March 2008.

 

  Probable Cause. Reasonable cause. An apparent state of facts found to exist upon reasonable inquiry, (that is, such inquiry as the given case renders convenient and proper,) which would induce a reasonably intelligent and prudent man to believe, in a criminal case, that the accused person had committed the crime charged, or, in a civil case, that a cause of action existed. Brand v. Hinchman, 68 Mich. 590, 36 N.W. 664.

Fraud. An intentional perversion of truth for the purpose of inducing another in reliance upon it to part with some valuable thing belonging to him or to surrender a legal right; a false representation of a matter of fact, whether by words or by conduct, by false or misleading allegations, or by concealment of that which should have been disclosed, which deceives and is intended to deceive another so that he shall act upon it to his legal injury. Brainerd Dispatch Newspaper Co v. Crow Wing County, 196 Minn. 194, 264 N.W. 779, 780.

 

Title(s) Surviving schizophrenia : a manual for families, consumers, and providers / E. Fuller Torrey. Edition 4th ed., 1st Quill ed. Publisher New York : Quill, 2001. Paging xxiv, 512 p. ; 21 cm. Notes Includes bibliographical references (p. [448]-483) and index.