"I know. The thought of it turns my stomach!!"

[PeterG]

Zoya

Since replying to you you have added this to your post.

Originally Posted by Zoya

I am certainly interested in the psychopathology of Hitler, because my field is psychotherapy. I also want to make it clear that any belief that Hitler may have been suffering from syphilis is in no way an attempt to suggest he was not morally responsible for his actions. Neither is suggesting the possibility that he may have contracted syphilis fom a Jewish prostitute an attempt to minimise or over-simplify the holocaust. But, it could be said that this, if it were true, could have been one trigger for the many defence mechanisms which Hitler exhibited in his attitude towards the Jews (remembering also that there was also some uncertainty as to his own Aryan purity), for example Distortion, Delusional Projection, Projection, Displacement and Reaction Formation to name a few.

I hope I haven't offended you by saying "Trust a bunch of psychiatrists! They always of course know better than anyone else." You say that your field is psychotherapy and I accept that.

However, you cannot clinically diagnose a disease from what a person writes for political reasons fifteen years later. That is voodoo science. Although you might marvel that a person who contracted syphilis in 1908 was still alive and robust in 1924.

Peter

[Zoya]

Okey dokey Peter, I think I get your drift
No harm done. Hope that's mutual!