Fooling others or oneself? A history of therapeutic fads and its current relevance.

The author addresses the consequences of therapeutic overzealousness in light of the early 20th century historical accounts of Dr. Serge Voronoff's ill fated adventure in restoring potency in European males and Dr. Henry Cotton's misguided foray into the physical treatment of schizophrenia in New Jersey. The implications of these mishaps for the modern practice of psychiatry are discussed in view of the challenges that continue to beset the field.