Nosology, Taxonomy and the Classification Conundrum of the Functional Psychoses

Abstract

As a physician with a special interest in respiratory disease, I have been concerned with the semantic problems of my own specialty (Scadding, 1959, 1963) and of medicine generally (Scadding, 1967, 1972, 1975, 1988), and more recently have been invited to consider how far my approach may be applicable to psychiatry (Scadding, 1980, 1982, 1990). I therefore read the essay on nosology, taxonomy and classification of the functional psychoses by Parshall & Priest with interest, and venture to make the following observations.