Question M

[Jonetta]

Frank follows up on Tom Brandt’s patients who were diagnosed with Old Maid’s syndrome or dementia/hysteria and found nothing of substance. Do you think Felix Decker will believe him or did he already know?

[Lauren]

Decker has convinced himself that Tom Brandt wasn't worthy of his daughter. He needs this to justify his disowning of her and his desire for her to give up being a midwife and return to her "rightful" place in society.

However, I think that once Malloy finds the evidence of what really happened to Tom, he will have not choice but to accept the truth.

[Jonetta]

That makes sense. Right now, I’m unclear about his moves.

[Robin]

I'm not sure what Mr. Decker is up to. Can't wait to see where Frank goes next in the investigation into Tom Brandt's death.

Do you guys think that this Old Maid's syndrome/hysteria has affected a large number of women? I can understand one woman believing that Dr. Brandt is in love with her and making up a whole relationship with him. And with the large population in NYC, there would probably be more women throughout the city with the same problem. But would they all fall for the SAME GUY???

[Jonetta]

I think only the one woman truly suffered from the syndrome. The others were mentally ill. The doctor Frank went to see separated the distinctions between Old Maid’s Syndrome and dementia, dismissive however of hysteria as lots of male doctors used that as a fallback diagnosis whenever they couldn’t explain something.

[Lauren]

Robin wrote: "I can understand one woman believing that Dr. Brandt is in love with her and making up a whole relationship with him."

I think that Jonetta is right.
My understanding was that only the first woman (Edna White) fixated on Brandt and after that he sought out the other women in order to better understand what was going on with her. The last woman (Christina Alberton) definitely suffered from what we call today Schizophrenia. I'm not sure about the other two, but they were suffering from "hysteria" before they met Brandt.

[Robin]

Ah. Thanks to Jonetta & Lauren for clearing it up. It makes more sense now.