ABSTRACT
The experiences of shell-shocked soldiers during the First World War focused professional and public attention on the neuroses. Professional intervention with soldiers suffering from the effects of shell-shock was initiated first by a psychologist who was ready to accept the lack of somatic causes while endorsing the impact of psychological stress. "The Patient" is a clinical, abstract concept, without even a hint of a subjective dimension. It is difficult to delineate their images of the restored patient-person apart from the removal of psychiatric symptoms. Classification becomes the main outcome of the psychiatric enterprise together with the application of practice wisdom. The content of journals indicates that two major concerns preoccupied psychiatrists during the twenties: Ensuring a more suitable treatment and admission procedure for voluntary patients and the social and inter-professional standing of the profession.
