- Correspondence Details
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Sent From (Definite): H. A. LeggettSent To (Definite): George Seaton BuchananDate: 5 Jan 1931
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Holder (Definite): The National Archives (UK)
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Sent from H. A. Leggett
5 Jan 1931
Description:‘Sir George Buchanan,
The question of the ultimate arrangements for the anti-malarial treatment of general paralysis of the insane was first raised by your minute of the 14th April, 1928.
You were then of the opinion, with which I agree, that the process was passing out of the experimental stage and that, so soon as this happened, the question of its ultimate organisation was rather a matter for the Board of Control than for us. At the conference that was subsequently held, it was agreed that it was quite justifiable to regard the experimental stage as unfinished and that we could therefore remain as we were for a year or two but that, after that date, we ought seriously to consider the future.
With a view to getting the stage clear for discussion, I approached Mr. Brock and I attack his reply. If you are satisfied that the experimental stage is still not over, and I think it is reasonably clear that it is not, we could certainly justify retaining the work for at least a year or two longer, and it might even conceivably be that there will always be some element of experiment in it and that we should, therefore, continue indefinitely to have some hand in it. But I am quite clear that we cannot possibly do this unless we have some very definite idea as to the future. My own view is that any central control of the treatment, as apart from the experimental side, should be from the Board of Control and not from us and that any negotiation with the Local Authorities should, therefore, be done by them; but the first thing to settle is when and how the final position is to be reached, and perhaps the best thing would be to have a further discussion with a representative from you, the Board of Control, the Assistant-General and myself.
H.A. Leggett. 5th January 1931.’
[separate hand [Buchanan]:
‘Mr Leggett,
I am quite willing, but may it wait for a fortnight? There is to be an important discussion on the Horton work at the Society of Tropical Medicine on the 15th, to which I hope to go, and I feel I should understand the position better after it has taken place.
G.S.B. 5 Jan. 1931.’
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Sent to George Seaton Buchanan
5 Jan 1931
Description:‘Sir George Buchanan,
The question of the ultimate arrangements for the anti-malarial treatment of general paralysis of the insane was first raised by your minute of the 14th April, 1928.
You were then of the opinion, with which I agree, that the process was passing out of the experimental stage and that, so soon as this happened, the question of its ultimate organisation was rather a matter for the Board of Control than for us. At the conference that was subsequently held, it was agreed that it was quite justifiable to regard the experimental stage as unfinished and that we could therefore remain as we were for a year or two but that, after that date, we ought seriously to consider the future.
With a view to getting the stage clear for discussion, I approached Mr. Brock and I attack his reply. If you are satisfied that the experimental stage is still not over, and I think it is reasonably clear that it is not, we could certainly justify retaining the work for at least a year or two longer, and it might even conceivably be that there will always be some element of experiment in it and that we should, therefore, continue indefinitely to have some hand in it. But I am quite clear that we cannot possibly do this unless we have some very definite idea as to the future. My own view is that any central control of the treatment, as apart from the experimental side, should be from the Board of Control and not from us and that any negotiation with the Local Authorities should, therefore, be done by them; but the first thing to settle is when and how the final position is to be reached, and perhaps the best thing would be to have a further discussion with a representative from you, the Board of Control, the Assistant-General and myself.
H.A. Leggett. 5th January 1931.’
[separate hand [Buchanan]:
‘Mr Leggett,
I am quite willing, but may it wait for a fortnight? There is to be an important discussion on the Horton work at the Society of Tropical Medicine on the 15th, to which I hope to go, and I feel I should understand the position better after it has taken place.
G.S.B. 5 Jan. 1931.’