1968 00 00 Journal of the American Medical Association - Vol 203 No 12 - Meerloo

Magazine Overview

This issue of JAMA, dated March 18, 1968, presents a collection of letters to the editor addressing various topics, including psychological phenomena, medical treatments, and the accuracy of scientific data reporting. The magazine's primary focus, as indicated by the cover headline, is on the "Flying Saucer Syndrome and the Need for Miracles."

Letters to the Editor

The Flying Saucer Syndrome And the Need for Miracles

In this letter, Joost A. M. Meerloo, MD, of New York, analyzes the "Flying Saucer Syndrome" from a psychological perspective. He argues that science, unable to prove the non-existence of phenomena, can describe subjective interpretations and failures in objectivity. Meerloo suggests that physicians have sometimes accepted patients' illusions as verifiable truths. He outlines several possible sources of error that contribute to saucer reports:

1. Memory distortions: Man's memory continually projects old fantasies and fictions into new experiences, leading to observational error.
2. The personal search for magic: In times of anxiety about the future, people resort to magical interpretations of their observations, with flying saucers sometimes serving as a symbol of salvation.
3. Optical illusions: The human eye, as an imperfect camera, is prone to manifold illusions caused by factors like increased intraocular pressure, muscle strain, staring, blind spots, entoptic illusions, glaucoma, cataract, retinal afterimages, and vitamin deficiency, all of which can influence and distort visual perception.
4. Psychological perceptual distortion: The illusion of movement can result from repressed memories and fantasies projected onto new perceptions. Psychogenic field shrinking and symbolic distortions arise from anxious anticipation. The psychology of witnessing is based on personal perceptual bias.
5. Physical distortion of images: Distortions from reflection, diffraction, mirages, car lamps on clouds, scintillation of stars, air prism polarization, noctilucent clouds, meteorites, ghost lights from marsh gas, brush burning, or ball lightning can lead to misinterpretation.
6. Anxiety: Individuals who believe in mysterious threats to Earth may produce defensive fantasies, with extraterrestrial intervention playing a key role, particularly in the dreams of overanxious patients. This "zeitgeist" of anxious expectations can lead to mass delusional escapes, with the saucer delusion being one example.
7. The flying saucer cult: This is described as a symptom of mass paranoia, well-organized with books and magazines perpetuating mysterious expectations and often including accusations against the Air Force for suppressing "truth."
8. Rumor and propaganda: These betray hidden group tensions and, in the case of the saucer cult, cover over feelings of alienation and panic about a world heading for atomic suicide.

Meerloo concludes that the battle between credulity and occult bigotry, evidence and illusion, and reality and the urge for soothing mystery continues. He posits that science's most probable explanations can neutralize the anxiety that fortifies myths of extraterrestrial invasion.

An Antidote for Propoxyphene HCl

Maj. D. G. Corby, MC, USA, and Maj. W. J. Decker, MSC, USA, from El Paso, Texas, propose activated charcoal as an effective treatment for acute ingestions of propoxyphene hydrochloride (Darvon). Their research found that 5 grams of activated charcoal (Norit A) can adsorb a significant amount of propoxyphene hydrochloride in vitro, adsorbing 99% of a 10-capsule dose (320 mg) and 70% of a 30-capsule dose (960 mg). Given that there is no known specific treatment for propoxyphene poisoning and many fatalities have resulted from accidental or purposeful ingestion, they suggest this therapy could be lifesaving. They recommend that physicians treating suspected propoxyphene ingestion administer a slurry of 10 grams of activated charcoal by mouth when the patient is first seen, before inducing emesis or gastric lavage. Following stomach emptying, another 10-gram dose should be given to prevent systemic adsorption of propoxyphene remaining in the gastrointestinal tract.

Laboratory Data

Bradley E. Copeland, MD, of Boston, and William G. Bernhard, MD, of Livingston, NJ, address concerns regarding medical laboratory data presented to Congress during 1967. They state that information from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was confused and inappropriately applied, often based on limited surveys from Public Health Laboratories, the Indian Bureau, and Federal Prison hospitals, with results assumed to apply to all hospitals in the United States. These surveys allegedly led to conclusions that 20 million tests per year are erroneous and that $470 million is wasted yearly.

The authors report that these conclusions and the data were carefully reviewed, and a detailed report was published in the Congressional Record for December 14, 1967 (H.16075-78). Their report highlights inaccuracies, such as clinical chemistry tests being judged by surveys conducted 15 to 20 years ago in the US, and a Canadian survey being used to judge US performance. They also point out that a statement claiming 250,000 mismatched transfusions occur per year is a result of a mathematical miscalculation error based on a study from 1938-1945, predating current blood bank advances.

They emphasize that every branch of medical practice is open to similar inaccuracies and urge professional societies and individuals to be alert to require that only current, relevant, and objective data be used when planning and reporting the progress of the nation's medical care effort.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the psychological underpinnings of belief in phenomena like flying saucers, practical medical interventions for drug overdoses, and the critical importance of accurate data in scientific and medical reporting. The editorial stance, as expressed through the letters, leans towards a rational, evidence-based approach, cautioning against credulity and the misapplication of data. The magazine, JAMA, serves as a platform for scientific discourse, encouraging critical evaluation of claims and practices within the medical community.