Obituary ALEXANDER E. MACDONALD. News of the death of Dr. A. E. Macdonald at his residence in New York City on December 7, 1906, must have come as a surprise and shock to his friends, many of whom had not been aware of his illness. Dr. Macdonald was not only prominent as an alienist in this country, but enjoyed a wide reputation abroad. For very many years he had been identified with the care and treatment of the insane in New York City, but had lived in retirement since 1904. Dr. Macdonald was born in Toronto in 1845, and educated at the Toronto Model Grammar School and Upper Canada College. He began the study of medicine at Toronto University, but moving subsequently to New York, completed his studies at New York University, from which institution he received the degree of M. D. in 1870. Later he studied law at the same university, graduating with the degree of LL. B. in 1881. In 1874 he was appointed lecturer on medical jurisprudence in New York University, and afterwards professor of medical jurisprudence. Later the chair of medical jurisprudence was combined with that of psychological medicine, with Dr. Macdonald as professor, and he was emeritus professor at the time of his death. Not long after graduating he was appointed house physician at the Hospital for Epileptics and Paralytics, Blackwell's Island. In 1871 he became chief of staff of Charity and Allied Hospitals, Blackwell's Island. In 1874 he was appointed resident physician, and in 1875 medical superintendent, of the New York City Asylum for the Insane, Ward's Island. In 1886 he was made general superintendent of the New York City asylums, which comprised the Reception Pavilion of the Insane, Bellevue; New York City Lunatic Asylum, Blackwell's Island, and branches on Ward's and Hart's Island; New York City Asylum, Ward's Island, and branches on Randall's Island and Central Islip, L. I. It was through Dr. Macdonald's efforts that the colony at Central Islip, L. I., was founded and that the city acquired title to the Immigration Asylum on Ward's Island by purchase from the State, thus increasing its accommodations for the insane and making it possible to abolish the branch institutions and to remove the Blackwell's Island division of women patients to Ward's Island. In 1896, as an incident of the operation of the State Care Act, New York City transferred its insane to State care, and Dr. Macdonald became general superintendent of the Manhattan State Hospital. In 1900 the legislature made three separate divisions of the Manhattan State Hospital, and Dr. Macdonald became superintendent of the Manhattan State Hospital East, of which he had been the first superintendent in 1875. Dr. Macdonald had frequently given expert testimony in important trials and notably in 1881, when he was called by the United States Government to testify in the Guiteau case. As medical superintendent he displayed executive ability of a high order. He was a rigid disciplinarian and exercised almost military authority in the institutions over which he had control. His administration of the New York City institutions was most effective. In his writings he showed himself the possessor of a lucid and pleasing style, and almost everything that he wrote was enlivened by humor. Among his contributions we may note the following: "The Examination and Commitment of the Insane," American Journal of Insanity, 1876; "General Paresis," American Journal of Insanity, 1877; "Clinical Lecture on Mania," Medical Record, New York, 1879; “Clinical Lecture on Melancholia," Medical Record, 1879; "Clinical Lecture on Dementia, Idiocy, Imbecility," Medical Record, 1879; "Clinical Lecture on General Paresis," Medical Record, 1888. His latest contributions, published in the American Journal of Insanity, were "The Fourteenth International Medical Congress at Madrid," being his report as delegate to that Congress of the American MedicoPsychological Association; and his address as president of the Dr. Macdonald American Medico-Psychological Association. was a member of the American Medical Association, of the Medical Society of the State of New York, of the Medical Society of the County of New York, of the New York Academy of Medicine, of the New York Psychiatrical Society, an honorary member of the American Medico-Psychological Association and its President in 1904, and an honorary member of the British Medico-Psychological Association. The deceased is survived by a widow, son and a daughter. Dr. Macdonald was distinctly a personage. His commanding figure comported well with his striking mental attributes. To be in his presence in any gathering was to be sensible of a strong individuality. He was a born leader of men. His mind was well trained not only in subjects relating to his profession, but in the humanities, and his general culture was the broader for his intimate contact for many years with the best society of the metropolis. He had strong convictions and was ready at all times to defend them against assault from the enemy. His militancy kept the latter at bay, and almost invariably made him in the end master of any position in defense of which he had thrown down the gage of battle. His fearlessness on such occasions of strife often stiffened the resolution of less ardent fighters when motives of self-interest might have suggested the expediency of unconditional surrender. Such a man could not well be popular-which adjective, after all, is usually one of dispraise-but his rugged devotion to principle and virile capacity for indignation when principle was outraged won for him unqualified admiration and staunch support from all who were able to distinguish between a tin soldier and a real warrior. Dr. Macdonald had great social charm. He was an ideal host, and as a guest was much in demand on festive occasions. As an after-dinner speaker he had a well deserved reputation. In this rôle he was always able to live up to the exacting standard established by our English brethren for American oratory of the lighter sort and never failed to amuse his hearers when representing our association at British banquets. The dominant note of his post-prandial performance was a chastened cynicism, the ef fect of which was happily heightened by an impassive countenance and a drollness of intonation and delivery that one associates as birthright rather with New England than the Dominion of Canada. His report of The Fourteenth International Congress at Madrid, to which reference has already been made, is a typical example of his keen insight, merry wit and fine humor. Death has made sad havoc in our ranks during the past few years, but no American alienist of those who have been gathered to their fathers will be more sincerely missed and mourned by his friends than A. E. Macdonald. G. A. B. Book Reviews. The Subconscious. By JOSEPH JASTROW, Professor of Psychology in the University of Wisconsin. (Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1906.) In deciding as to the completeness with which a book has fulfilled its function, it is necessary to know with what end in view the author wrote. If, as often seems to be the case, the chief object is to relieve his mind of a weight of uncomfortable reflections, the result need not occupy the reviewer since the writer himself is the best judge of the success of his efforts. If, however, the avowed object has been to teach, to help, to deliver a message, it then becomes the office of the critic to consider soberly and faithfully what has been written and, according to the merits, advance an opinion that shall sustain or controvert the thesis. What, then, is the message of this new book by Jastrow? What its reason for being? Fortunately, as is quite proper, the author prefaces his work with a concise statement of his purpose. The purpose of this essay in descriptive psychology is to provide a survey of a comprehensive aspect of human psychic endowment." Surely a laudable plan for, though many attempts have been made to mark down the more striking and permanent characteristics of the conscious and subconscious activities, the data at hand, the instruments used and the limitations of the surveyor have heretofore been so unsatisfactory as to afford but a muddy and unfaithful sketch of the original. Such fanciful attributes, mysterious powers and weird qualities have been assigned to that bugaboo of the humble but honest psychologist, the subliminal self, that any effort to "show up" the ghost must be allowed the commendation usually assigned to the brave. That the author had clearly in view this unsatisfactory status of our knowledge concerning "The Subconscious" may be plainly seen in the opening paragraph of his introduction—the most charming paragraph, by the way, in the whole book and one well calculated to tempt any chance reader into the depths beyond and possibly beyond his depth. 'The submerged life of the mind, however seemingly mysterious and really elusive, yet persistently attracts the naturalist of the mental world. At favorable moments, when the sea of consciousness is unruffled and calm contemplation seems promising, he peers intently into the shadowy depths, and is disappointed to find how little he can distinguish of what lies below the surface, how constantly the waters send back merely the reflection-partly distorted-of his own familiar features. His curiosity unsatisfied, he is tempted to wish for the intervention of some fairy of kindly disposition toward psychologists, who would invest him with a magical diving-suit enabling him to sink below the waters and examine |