Biochemistry in Relation to Psychiatry *

The recent reviews of the literature15 17, 18, 19 on biochemical investigations in psychiatry present a confusing array of conflicting reports which leave the reader with the impression that biochemical methods have contributed little to the understanding of mental disorders. Cameron,6 in the recent revision of his book, Objective and Experimental Psychiatry, has, however, made a beginning in relieving this confusion. It is the purpose of the present communication to demonstrate that biochemistry has already contributed a great deal to our understanding of mental disorders and to indicate the direction of present-day investigations. Biochemistry, the chemistry of living organisms, is such a broad subject and has undergone such rapid development in so many fields that few people realize the extent of this science and its import for medicine including psychiatry. In fact, every kind and degree of adjustment that a person makes in his daily life involves complex biochemical changes in his body. For example, social situations which produce fear or rage or other emotions constitute one of the most effective ways of bringing about biochemical changes in man and animals. The recognition of the fact that mental activity influences bodily processes in general has led many people to postulate that most diseases were "caused" by mental and emotional disorders. The great contributions of Pavlow, Freud, and Cannon have served to support such a conception. It should be emphasized, however, that these authorities themselves, being aware of the limitations of their work, made no such one-sided generalization. This exaggerated emphasis on the "influence of mind on body" led to the remarkable developments in the utilization of psychotherapeutic methods during the past 50 years. Extensive and intensive attempts have been made to control and treat mental diseases with these newly elaborated psychotherapeutic methods. Although it is extremely difficult to assess the results of these efforts, it is becoming increasingly clear that while much can be and has been done to alleviate the symptoms of psychopathic maladjustments,