In Anti-spam Psych Info Letter #1, we discussed William Alanson White (1870-1937), the famous psychiatrist that reviewed Hubbard's "innovative experiment" at the George Washington University. Dr. White was the superintendent of D.C.'s St. Elizabeth Hospital, a government hospital for the insane. White had a close association with Hubbard's "mentor", Commander Joseph Cheesman (Snake) Thompson.

Scientology considers psychiatry to be Public Enemy #1. Hubbard injected into his doctrine the idea that psychiatrists are reincarnations of the evil priests throughout the history of this universe who evilly implanted people to trap and enslave them. This bit of science fiction justifies Scientology's vitriolic attacks against psychiatry, especially as through the Scientology front group called "Citizens Commission on Human Rights."

Scientology intends to utterly destroy psychiatry as part of their takeover plan. They wish to replace psychiatry with Hubbard's version of Dianetics and science fiction freemasonry.

Yet, Scientology's own site pays homage to William Alanson White for reviewing Hubbard's plagiarized experiment on the human memory, making White a "good guy" on the basis that White was opposed to psychosurgery.

It is not my intention and it is certainly not my place to indict psychiatry as Scientology has done over the years. However, with the quote below, I wish to point out that Scientology's attempt to position Hubbard's experiment with William Alanson White is simply a childishly self-serving propaganda technique, and one without integrity as to the overall policies of attack that Scientology makes against the profession.

From An Autobiography of a Purpose, by William Alanson White:

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My plan, therefore, has been that the medical student should be exposed to psychiatric teaching throughout the four years of his medical course and then when he gets through he will be in a position to know whether he is interested in this specialty or not; and psychiatry, which accounts for fifty percent of the beds throughout the country, will have at least an equal show with the other medical specialties in attracting students.

A few years ago the School of Medicine, George Washington University, undertook an entire reorganization of its curriculum and teaching outfit. At this time it became possible to fit into the general scheme of teaching medicine an improved series of courses in psychiatry. This has been done and the courses are now offered to students throughout the four years.

Arrangements are being made for psychiatric consultation in the general hospital, so that the psychiatric viewpoint will be stressed in all departments of medicine from the very beginning. Under this arrangement, speaking very briefly, we undertake to teach medical psychology in the first year, which parallels anatomy and physiology on the organic side. In the second year we teach organic psychopathology just as general pathology is taught in the second year. In the third year, the first of the clinical years, a course in clinical psychiatry is given; and in the fourth year the more difficult problems of the neuroses and the psychoneuroses are discussed.

This, in brief, has been the story of the selling of psychiatry in Washington, to the city itself, the country at large, the government and the medical schools. It is a story of large accomplishments; of course by no means my accomplishments but accomplishments in which I had the privilege of playing a part throughout the years.

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1938 Doubleday, Doran & Company antivirus

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