- Cedric Howell Swanton
Dr Cedric Howell Swanton (born Kew,
23 March , 1899, diedSydney ,11 September , 1970) was anAustralia nphysician and psychiatrist.Biography
Swanton was educated at Scotch College and the
University of Melbourne , then went to theUnited Kingdom for postgraduate studies insurgery inLondon andEdinburgh . On his return to Australia in 1929 he worked as ageneral practitioner , but returned to London in 1933 to studypsychiatry at theTavistock Clinic .In 1937 he opened a practice in Sydney as a consultant psychiatrist and was appointed to the honorary staff of the
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital psychiatric clinic, remaining there until retiring in 1959.Although trained in
psychoanalysis , Swanton followed the theory ofbiological psychiatry that mental problems were best treated by physical methods. He was one of the first Australian psychiatrists to useelectroconvulsive therapy , persisting with this technique throughout the 1950s and mentoring some psychiatrists of the next generation, including the notoriousHarry Bailey , in its use. He also performedleucotomy on many patients.References
Garton, S. (2002) Swanton, Cedric Howell, in "Australian Dictionary of Biography", Vol. 16, p. 352. (Melbourne University Press: Melbourne).
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