Clive Farran‐ridge, a Man Who Missed Fame by a Whisker a Biographical Annotation

On the 50th anniversary of John Cade's discovery of the anti-manic effect of lithium*

“…Early glimpses of Cade’s intellectual curiosity and energy were revealed in his later biographical account of Clive Farran‐Ridge, who was a prominent figure during Cade’s formative years as a junior medical officer [5]. In that article, Cade recounted that on reading reports of Sakel’s experience with insulin coma therapy in 1937, he asked the medical superintendent of Royal Park Hospital ‘with youthful enthusiasm, whether we might not start this new therapy] forthwith’.…”

A history of insulin coma therapy in Australia

“…11 It was John Cade who later revealed that Farran-Ridge was cheated of the opportunity to get credit for the discovery – it is poignant that Cade himself was to suffer something of the same fate after his use of lithium salts. 12…”

“…Cade states that Farran-Ridge and Reynolds were the first to do ICT in Australia at Mont Park hospital in March or April 1937 – Cade could not recall the exact date. 12 At a meeting of the section of neurology and psychiatry on 7 September 1937, 19 they described their use of ICT, stating that they saw schizophrenia as a deficiency disease and a “catalyst” was needed to get the neurons functioning properly. Of 19 patients treated, 14 were variants of dementia praecox, two cases of manic depressive insanity, one case of obsessional neurosis and one of puerperal insanity.…”

Psychiatric gadfly: in search of Reginald Ellery

“…If nothing else, it gives an indication of the intense competitiveness there was now among the psychiatrists. 24 Profound disturbance was looming and even in far-off Australia it was impossible to ignore the fact that war was coming. He had returned from Europe with, as it were, a troika in his hand: communism, psychoanalysis and biological treatments.…”

“…If nothing else, it gives an indication of the intense competitiveness there was now among the psychiatrists. 24…”