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This book represents a study of about 2,500 observations of mental disturbances arising among French troops during the World War, in an attempt to answer the following questions. 1. Are there war psychoses constituting special mental diseases differing in origin and evolution from the ordinary psychoses in times of peace? 2. Does war favor the development of the usual psychoses observed in times of peace and increase their number?
The first question is answered in the negative. The second question is answered in the affirmative, and arguments are presented to prove that the increase in number of the usual psychoses is due to exciting causes such as emotional shocks, physical misery, wounds, contusions, infections and intoxications (especially alcohol) which are augmented by the conditions of war.