Psychiatry and the dangerous sexual offender

A study of Dangerous Sexual Offenders, undertaken for the Canadian Law Reform Commission, reveals that about one-third of DSOs seriously threatened or actually endangered the life of the victim. One-third were moderately assaultive. The remainder, mostly homosexual pedophiles, were offensive but not physically violent. The role of psychiatrists, employed by the Crown in the process of securing an indeterminate sentence, is described. Most of them did not declare their role as "double-agents". Their expert testimony before the Courts also revealed a failure to discriminate between fact and opinion. Individual prejudice was, not infrequently, presented as the wisdom of the psychiatric profession. The life of DSOs in Canadian penitentiaries, is likely to be exceedingly brutal. Four of them have been murdured while in custody. Others have killed themselves or made determined attempts to do so. Since it is obviously unethical for psychiatrists to participate in any procedure which is likely to result in harm or the death of an individual, the author urges the Canadian Psychiatric Association to support the Law Reform Commissions' condemnation of the DSO legislation. As an interim measure psychiatrists should be urged not to collaborate in DSO cases.     

An investigation of the electrochemical reduction of pentachlorophenol with analysis by HPLC

A study has been made of the electrochemical reduction of pentachlorophenol (PCP) on a lead electrode in both water and propylene carbonate. A combination of voltammetric measurements and analysis of reaction products by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have established that the reduction of PCP in propylene carbonate occurs by two different pathways, depending upon the electrode potential. At -1.9V vs SCE, reduction is mediated by adsorbed hydrogen, whereas at -2.3V vs SCE direct reduction of PCP also occurs. A similar approach has established that the reduction of PCP in water follows only one reaction pathway, namely, direct electron transfer from lead to PCP.