Speaking of resistance to psychotherapy, Coon said several years ago, "When it occurs most commonly, the student is suspicious of authority of all kinds, and thinks of a possible blot on his record. He does not know that whether internists or psychiatrists we regard most of the problems brought up as part of the process of maturation."

Nothing Divulged

One real source of resistance to the idea of seeing a psychiatrist connected with a University is a doubt about whether remarks made to the psychiatrist will remain confidential. The psychiatrist, especially if an administrative official has referred the student to him, seems like another college official to some students.

Farnsworth, in his Lowell lecture series, took pains to emphasize the general principle of medicine of which psychiatry is a branch, "Nothing that the patient divulges during the course of a medical interview may be used by the physician without the patient's permission, unless the welfare of others is directly at stake."

Is this an "out" for the psychiatrist to report rule-infractions to the Dean's office? Farnsworth says not, "unless the safety of some person was threatened." He adds that most psychiatrists would point out the dangers involved in the rule-infraction.

After referring a student to a psychiatrist, Farnsworth added, an administrative official usually wants some kind of information so that he can continue to be helpful in the case. Farnsworth feels that whatever difficulty this presents is solved by asking the student for permission to "report back to the faculty member who suggested he come, assuring him that private or intimate details of the conversation will not be mentioned." Few students refuse this request, Farnsworth says, but if they do, the refusal must be honored.

Despite the many possibilities for disagreement between the University's psychiatrists and the administrative officers, both groups refer with pleasure to their good relationship with the other.

Farnsworth's remarks above are examples of his attempt to avoid mutual irritations. He says that "there is no particular body of doctrine or special knowledge possessed by the psychiatrist that he wants to pass on to the administrator or educator."

"What he does contribute," Farnsworth adds, "is a point of view about human emotions, motivations, and behavior that has been somewhat insufficiently represented in the past."

Youth Staff

The members of the psychiatric service are, for the most part fairly young men, many of whom have worked in hospitals in the Boston area before coming here.

Coon is a graduate of the University of Chicago Medical School, and served as the chief medical officer of the Boston Psychopathic Hospital from 1937 to 1946, when he came here.

Samuel Bojar, who works full-time at the Medical School, worked in several New York Hospitals and Boston Psychopathic.

Henry H. Babcock, who handles the Business School, got his M.D. degree in 1939, and worked at Butler Hospital in Providence rising to Superintendant before coming to the University a year ago.

Graham B. Blaine '40, got his M.D. in 1943 and worked at Bellevue and Veterans Hospital in New York City. A general practitioner in Connecticut in 1947-50, he worked for the Riggs foundation before coming here.