NARCOSYNTHESIS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING INSULIN SHOCK : Five-Year Follow Up and Supplementary Report

The same favorable results as reported for the original group of 11 patients were obtained in the second larger group justifying the conclusion that narcosynthesis immediately following insulin coma appears to deserve its place in the treatment of mental disease, and especially seems worth while in patients who have previously not responded either to insulin coma therapy alone, or to the prognostic pre-insulin sodium amytal interview. This type of treatment on the basis of this study not only seems to hasten considerably the recovery of the patients and lessen appreciably their hospital stay, but also seems to produce a more prolonged and well-sustained recovery. In fact, 10 out of 11 patients of the preliminary group have adjusted satisfactorily outside the hospital for periods of over 5 years, and 26 of the 30 patients of the second group have also made satisfactory extra-institutional adjustment for periods of 3 to 5 years without recurrence of symptoms of mental illness.