Medicine: Drug Revolution

New drugs for the mentally ill are causing a revolutionary change in New York’s 27 state hospitals. For years, admissions have been increasing at a rate of 3,000 annually. Now the department of mental hygiene reports a 19% increase in discharges and expects a net drop in admissions. Reason: mentally disturbed patients are being treated earlier and more effectively with the drugs chlorpromazine and reserpine (TIME, March 7). Many illnesses are being arrested or alleviated so that the victims do not require commitment.