NIGEL HOWELL'S APPOINTMENT TERMINATED
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1974
BY HUTUAL AGREEMENT
THE GOVERNMENT TODAY RECEIVED A REPORT ON MR. NIGEL HOWELL'S CONDITION. MR. HOWELL WAS SEEN BY HIS PRIVATE DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIS RETURN FROM HONG KONG ON SEPTEMBER 7, AND WAS PUT ON SICK LEAVE SUFFERING FROM AN ANXIETY STATE+.
HE WAS EXAMINED
IN
BY A PHYCHIATRIC SPECIALIST AT ST. THOMAS' HOSPITAL ON SEPTEMBER 9. THE SPECIALIST'S NITIAL REPORT INDICATES THAT MR. HOWELL IS SUFFERING FROM AN ACUTE DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS. THE SPECIALIST'S OPINION, FOR THIS REASON, IT WOULD BE HIGHLY UNDESIRABLE FOR MR. HOWELL TO SERVE OUTSIDE HIS HOME ENVIRONMENT FOR THE TIME BEING.
AN ACUTE DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS CAN OCCUR VERY RAPIDLY, WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING AND WITHOUT IDENTIFIABLE SYMPTOMS IAMEDIATLY PRIOR TO THE EVENT. THE EXTENT AND BASIC CAUSE OF ILLNESS CANNOT DE THOROUGHLY KNOWN UNTIL THE PATIENT IS WELL ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY AND WHEN HE IS IN A POSITION FULLY TO DISCUSS HIS ILLNESS. DOCTORS ARE NOT YET ABLE TO DETERMINE AT WHAT SPEED THE ILLNESS DEVELOPED IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.
A MONTH BEFORE MR. HOWELL LEFT FOR HONG KONG, A MEDICAL EXAMINATION WAS CARRIED OUT BY THE CONSULTANT PHYSICIAN TO THE OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT HINISTRY. THIS WAS NAINLY A PHYSICAL EXAMINATION CINCLUDING BLOOD PRESSURE AND CHEST EX-RAY) BUT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH NORIAL PRACTICE, MR. HOWELL VAS. SPECIFICALLY ASKED AGOUT ANY PREVIOUS NERVOUS OR MENTAL TROUBLE. AT THAT TIME HE APPEARED PHYSICALLY HEALTHY AND MENTALLY STABLE THIS SUPPORTS THE CONCLUSION THAT THE ONSET OF HIS ILLNESS MUST HAVE BEEN VERY SUDDEN.
MR. HOWELL'S APPOINTMENT WITH THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE HAS BEEN TERMINATED BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO MAKE ANY FURTHER COMMENT ON HIS CONDITION AT THE PRESENT TIME.
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