GR 490 IMMEDIATE
DESKBY 122359Z
CYPHER/CAT A
FM FCO 121650Z
RESTRICTED
LAST
RF1
(93)
NEXT
REF.
COP
99
RESTRICTED
DESKBY 122359Z
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 791 OF 12 SEPTEMBER, 1974
YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 920 ; HOWELL.
1. MR HOWELL WAS SEEN BY HIS PRIVATE DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY ON HIS RETURN FROM HONG KONG ON 7 SEPTEMBER AND PLACED SICK, SUFFERING FROM QUOTE ANXIETY STATE UNQUOTE. HE WAS EXAMINED BY A PSYCHIATRIC SPECIALIST AT ST THOMAS'S HOSPITAL ON 9 SEPTEMBER. THE SPECIALIST'S INITIAL REPORT INDICATES THAT THE OFFICER IS SUFFERING FROM AN ACUTE DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS. THE SPECIALIST'S OPINION IS THAT, FOR THIS REASON, IT WOULD BE HIGHLY UNDESTRABLE FOR MR HOWELL TO SERVE OUTSIDE HIS HOME ENVIRONMENT FOR THE TIME BEING.
2. THE ABOVE MAY BE USED ON THE RECORD. WE WILL SAY THE SAME IF ASKED. IF QUESTIONED ON HOW THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE ARISEN, SUGGEST THAT HENRY SHOULD SAY THAT THESE ARE QUESTIONS FOR A DOCTOR RATHER THAN FOR A POLICEMAN, HE COULD, HOWEVER, GIVE IT AS HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT IN SUCH CASES THE EXTENT AND BASIC CAUSES OF ILLNESS CANNOT BE THOROUGHLY KNOWN UNTIL THE PATIENT IS WELL ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY, WHEN THE PATIENT HIMSELF WILL BE IN A POSITION FULLY TO DISCUSS HIS ILLNESS.
3. IN ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS IN YOUR PARAGRAPH 3(A) HENRY MIGHT GIVE IT AS HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEDICAL VIEW THAT ACUTE DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS CAN OCCUR VERY RAPIDLY INDEED, WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING AND WITH NO IDENTIFIABLE SYMPTONS IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE EVENT. HOWEVER, FOR THE REASONS GIVEN ABOVE, THE DOCTORS ARE NOT YET ABLE TO DETERMINE AT WHAT SPEED THE ILLNESS DEVELOPED IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE,
RESTRICTED
IF
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.