The story I [L Ryan] want to end on was told by an ex-psychiatric nurse….She described an incident that happened while she worked in the Dublin Psychiatric Hospital, Grangegorman, where Ivor also worked.
A female patient was undergoing a particularly severe psychotic episode. The nurses were quite distressed and called for immediate medical assistance. Presently, they saw a white coat approaching. The doctor considered the situation calmly and, reaching into his coat, he drew out not a syringe but a tin whistle.
He stood there and proceeded to play a few lively jigs and reels, tapping his foot. Before long the patient ceased her rant and lined up with the nurses to examine this strange specimen of a doctor.
She looked at the others and before going calmly on her way said, “I think that fellow is a bit mad!” It was, of course, none other than the bold Ivor Browne, author of Music and Madness.
From https://louisryan.substack.com/ c/o https://substack.com/@tedgioia
Ted Gioia is author of The Honest Broker on Substack (https://www.honest-broker.com)—a frank and opinionated guide to music, books, media, a
