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Obituary of Dr Russell Barton

Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City

Correspondence: mristich{at}yahoo.com

There are a number of inaccuracies in Dr Henry Rollin's obituary for the late Dr Russell Barton.

Most importantly, he did not relinquish his post at Severalls because of an impolitic letter to the Lancet. Dr Barton was clearly displeased with the suggestion that he stay on as Consultant after the position of Physician Superintendent was abolished, even though he could keep the emoluments of his previous position. He moved to the United States for an opportunity to exercise direction on a hospital-wide basis, an opportunity which no longer existed in the land of his birth.

The title of the grade he held at Shenley was Senior Hospital Medical Officer, not Senior Medical Officer. Institutional Neurosis was published in 1959, not 1976. As he came to Severalls in 1960, only his experience at Shenley was included in the book. Finally, at Severalls it was not discharges that plummeted. Discharges increased — the patient census plummeted.

I can also throw some light on the question whether Dr Barton ever changed his mind on the subject of community care for the mentally ill, having maintained periodic contact with him until his infirmity made such contacts impracticable. He never regretted his role in the deinstitutionalisation movement, although he recognised, like the rest of us, that the actual performance fell well short of what he would have wished to see happen.

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