Psychiatric Syndromes Following Blast
1. Eight cases of psychiatric reaction to blast have been presented.

2. Evidence has been adduced in support of the view that in the cases described a structural cerebral lesion was responsible for the basic symptoms.

3. No conclusive evidence was forthcoming that this lesion was the direct effect of bomb blast alone; in all the cases except two it was impossible to separate the effects of an associated ordinary head injury, even although from their history this head injury would often appear to have been trivial.

4. In the one case in the series, where the inference of a pure blast effect would seem to have the strongest support, ordinary head injury could only be excluded with reasonable probability, and in the circumstances of a particularly heavy air raid, such injury might have been overlooked.

5. The possibility of damage to the nervous system by the direct effects of the blast wave without damage to other structures is not excluded.

6. The symptomatology has been described and the clinical picture analysed. The importance of the structural-analytical approach has been pointed out.

7. The organic nature of these cases is liable to be overlooked, with damaging results to the patient.

8. Comments on prognosis and treatment have been added and also on their medico-legal significance.

9. The desirability of further careful psychiatric study of these cases is indicated and the minimal examination outlined. The necessity of competent psychiatric observation at the earliest possible opportunity has been stressed.