The Maintenance Treatment of Chronic Psychotics by Electrically Induced Convulsions

Abstract

In the early days of convulsion therapy many chronic psychotics were treated by this method in the hope of effecting a cure. While temporary improvement was achieved in most cases, results were disappointing, owing to the rapidity with which relapses occurred. With cardiazol as the convulsant, various complications, such as sclerosis of veins, tachycardia, vomiting and, most of all, aversion to the treatment on the part of the patient made its continued repetition impracticable.