A Man Against Insanity: The Birth of Drug Therapy in a Northern Michigan Asylum

by Paul de Kruif

ბნელით მოცულ სენს - სიგიჟეს - ებრძვის წიგნის მთავარი გმირი, ფსიქიატრი ჯეკ ფერგიუსონი. მან თავის თავზე გამოსცადა ხანგრძლივი ფსიქიკური დაავადების სიმწარე, თავი დააღწია მის მარწუხებს და დაიწყო სხვათა განკურნება ამ სენისგან.
ქიმია, მახვილი კლინიკური ინტუიცია, ადამიანის სულის სიღრმეში წვდომის უნარი, სიყვარული და მზრუნველობა ავადმყოფისადმი - აი, საწინდარი იმ სასწაულებისა, რასაც ფერგიუსონი აღწევს სიგიჟესთან თავგანწირულ ბრძოლაში.

Genres: Nonfiction

203 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Paul Henry de Kruif was an American microbiologist and author of Dutch descent. Publishing as Paul de Kruif, he is most noted for his 1926 book, Microbe Hunters. This book was not only a bestseller for a lengthy period after publication, it has remained high on lists of recommended reading for science and has been an inspiration for many aspiring physicians and scientists.

He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's degree (1912) and remained to obtain a Ph.D. (1916). He immediately entered service as a Private in Mexico on the Pancho Villa Expedition and afterwards served as a Lieutenant and a Captain in World War I in France. Because of his service in the Sanitary Corps, he had occasional contacts with leading French biologists of the period.

After returning to the University of Michigan as an Assistant Professor, De Kruif briefly worked for the Rockefeller Institute (for Medical Research). He then became a full-time writer.
De Kruif assisted Sinclair Lewis with his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Arrowsmith (1925) by providing the scientific and medical information required by the plot, along with character sketches. Even though Lewis was listed as the sole author, De Kruif's contribution was significant, and he received 25 percent of the royalties. Many believe the characters in the novel represent people known to De Kruif, with Martin Arrowsmith (a physician, unlike de Kruif) possibly representing himself.
Some of his writings created problems for him. Some essays written while working for the Rockefeller Institute led to his dismissal. Ronald Ross, one of the scientists featured in Microbe Hunters, took exception to how he was described, so the British edition deleted that chapter to avoid a libel suit.
De Kruif was a staff writer for the Ladies' Home Journal, Country Gentleman, and the Readers Digest, contributing articles on Science and Medicine. He also served on commissions to promote research into Infantile Paralysis.
The Sweeping Wind, his last book, is his autobiography.

Reviews

[Stephen Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I plucked this 1958 book from an opportunity shop because of the title. The story is about Jack Ferguson MD, who started out life as a steel worker and a barman, then became a Doctor at the age of 40. He was a conflicted man who became addicted to barbiturates and was able to experiment on himself with new drugs that gave him insight into helping people confined in mental institutions. This is a non-fiction and truly remarkable story that explains the early trials of drugs like Ritalin and Serpasil. When the story documents patients, who have been effectively non-communicative zombies, and describes them emerging from decades of silence after a course of drugs and careful nursing, the legacy of this Doctor and pioneer becomes substantial. If you can find this book it will help you understand how behind many seemingly hopeless mental cases there are normal human beings trapped by a malfunctioning brain. The good news is there is a cure for many.

[Debra Finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up a republished and pared down 2018 version of this book in TC after touring The Village. I can imagine the original caused quite the buzz when originally published in 1957 as psychopharmacology was innovative. Though at times it was repetitive; it is interesting look into the past.

[Dmitry Dyatlov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well the many tales of drug - addicted Drs. really make you wonder about this "noble" profession sometimes. I hear even Mr. Freud was known to partake (cocaine). Here we find the story of a man trying to fight his own demons while locally trying to reform the 1950s views on lobotomies. Today there's much debate about the use of drugs, but I suppose when the choice stands for a truly sick person of that vs. ice pick, it's nice to see someone steering the mentally ill toward a psychopharmacology solution first.

[Ryan Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This bad boy starts out strong and gives you a slice of essential history that you really wouldn't ever hear about otherwise. Jack Ferguson's story is pretty dang remarkable and as he goes through his own battles with a substance use disorder, you feel really connected to the guy. I did really like it, but it could have been like 100 pages shorter lmao