Fever and Psychoses. A Study of the Literature and Current Opinion on the Effects of Fever on Certain Psychoses and Epilepsy: By Gladys C. Terry. New York and London: Paul B. Hoeber, Inc., 1939. 167 pp.

In this book the author reports the results of an investigation of the effects of fever on certain psychoses and epilepsy. The report

is divided into three parts, the first being a survey of the literature dealing with the effects of febrile diseases on mental disorders, the second, a report on the clinical use of artificially induced fevers, and the third, a summary of the opinions of various observers concerning the therapeutic effects of artificial fever in the psychoses.

In the first section the author reports that a study of the literature shows that in cases of mental disorders which were benefited by an intercurrent natural fever there were seven points that stood out. She observes that these factors are those present in cases which are ordinarily expected to recover spontaneously.

In the second section the author states that further detailed experimentation with febrile reactions in patients with affective psychoses is indicated; that on the basis of present available material the therapeutic value of fever is either negligible or that reported recoveries were coincidental with spontaneous improvement. The author feels that it would be unfortunate if the present preoccupation with the insulin shock treatment should interfere with further experimentation on the use of fevers in affective psychoses.

In the final section the author states that the wide divergence of opinion concerning the therapeutic effects of fever on mental disorders indicates the speculative nature of the opinion and that until further basic facts are available no conclusions can be drawn.

The book is concluded with an extensive bibliography.