PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Abstract

revealed that the greater number of these cases have suffered from psychoses which have had unfavourable outcomes. The concept of benign stupor, according to Hoch, represents a phase of manic-depressive psychosis. Obviouslysuch a classification cannot be applied to those showing unfavourable results. It is noted that there are many types of stupor and that this symptom occurs in numerous diseases. The actual diagnosis would depend upon other accompanying signs and symptoms plus an analysis of the causative factors. The benign stupor of Hoch was established on the presence of four cardinal symptoms; apathy, inactivity, thinking disorders, and an absorbing interest in death. The writer cannot accept these as distinguishing benign stupor from catatonia, for they are also commonly present in schizophrenia. There seems little reason to believe that Hoch's stupor is fundamentally different from catatonic stupors and benign stupor should not be regarded as a diseaseentity. In the past periodicity and recoverability were considered pathognomonic for manic-depressive psychoses. To-day these are not considered characteristic of the cyclothymic group alone. They occur in schizophrenia as well. The rigid theory of Kraepelin that schizophrenia is a progressively deteriorating disease is true only if we consider the case over its entire life-span. C. S. RI.