title: A history of insulin coma therapy in Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the history of insulin coma therapy (ICT) in Australia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The negative period between the wars came to an end with the discovery of the biological therapies, including ICT, a development of great interest to Australian psychiatrists. Melbourne psychiatrist Reg Ellery documented his use of ICT in 1937, but the evidence shows that he was beaten to it by Farran-Ridge and Reynolds at Mont Park. ICT was soon used at various centres, but phased out by the late fifties. A review follows of its use in Australia and a discussion of the issues involved. Doing ICT played a part in enhancing the professional status of Australian psychiatrists and was one of the factors that led to the establishment of the AAP in 1946.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor and forensic psychiatrist, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003295:Convulsive Therapy / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans
keywords: Australia; history; insulin coma therapy; psychiatry