--- In thomasszaszdiscussion@yahoogroups.com, mira <mirah@...> wrote:
>
> Further to the discussion on the definition of medicine, I have seen it
> expanded to include the relief of suffering. Personally I reject this
> expansion. It is presumptuous, as suffering is so broad a concept, and
> immeasurable to boot. Of course such a definition is convenient as it
> covers psychiatry and euthanasia. In fact, it covers just about anything.
>
> I stick to my own definition, taken from the dictionary, that medicine
> is the art of healing. But I was expecting you to ask, "healing what?"
> Healing disease, of course. But what is disease?
>
> Who will venture to define disease?
>
> Mira
>
I am a new member of the group and I have gone over many parts of the
contentions since the beginning in 2004 and I am particularly interested by the
issue of disease in Szasz work.

To venture to define disease I start with the Szasz's definition of it which is
matching the one of the pathologist: "structural or functional abnormality of
cells, tissues, organs, or bodies." Insanity , The idea...1987, p 12. that we
can identify by the finding of a lesion.

Szasz accepts this definition only for bodily diseases. According to him, it
doesn't apply to the so called "mental illness" because it is impossible to find
a lesion in the Mind. Then, bodily disease is a real disease whereas mental
illness has the name of illness only metaphorically. (Actually, according to
him, mental illness is a construction to justify involuntary treatments)

In the definition of Szasz-pathologist, I first point out the word function.

When the liver doesn't function properly it is ill. When the hear doesn't
function properly it is ill, same thing for the eye, etc.

Then, instead of starting with an abnormal structure, in which we find a lesion,
I begin with an abnormal function in order to go to the abnormal structure.
Therefore, function prevails onto structure and the criteria for illness, is a
malfunctioning of an organ, whether or not we find a lesion ( decades ago, we
knew that an organ wasn't working properly without finding a lesion but, now,the
lesion is found i.e. Szasz example, syphilis.

Therefore, concerning schizophrenia and manic-depression, for instance, first of
all, at some point, it is obvious that there is a malfunction, i.e. delusions,
allucinations, etc. (though it is often a matter of degree, from potential to
mild,to severe)Those two "diagnosis" are real diseases and not by nature bad or
disapproved behavior as Szasz says.

Actually, Szasz states that mental illness is a metaphor covering bad or
disapproved behaviors, on the contrary, I state that bad or disapproved
behaviors are metaphorical terms for madness which is a real disease.

Michel