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OCT -20 1982 <br />x 51. KL M <br />Commissioner Fletcher asked the Doctor to define <br />"psychosomatic." <br />Dr. Feldman explained that an individual may have <br />somatic symptoms, that is, a pain in the arm or a <br />stomachache. A headache or a backache, due to circumstances <br />that cannot be proven to have an organic background, is <br />convenient to say that it must be psychosomatic. <br />Commissioner Fletcher inquired if the Doctor had any <br />experience dealing with ecological patients that were of the <br />psychosomatic type. <br />Dr. Feldman responded that he used to be of the opinion <br />that the symptoms of people could -be categorized,'but he has <br />been more informed about clinical ecological problems and he <br />does now think that in some of the cases where he thought <br />the problem was psychosamatic, he was <br />really not <br />giving the <br />patient enough <br />credit. He was sure <br />there were some patients <br />that had psychosomatic illnesses but he did not know the <br />percentage. <br />Commissioner Lyons asked if he felt the courthouse was <br />the full cause of the Judge's sensitivity. <br />Dr. Feldman commented that from the history that Judge <br />Stikelether presented, he reported that he had been <br />perfectly healthy,with no symptoms, until after the exposure <br />to the asphalt tar problem on the roof. When the workmen <br />tarred or covered over the exhaust vents and permitted only <br />the intake vent to be open, it was situated right next to <br />the tar. <br />The Chairman referred to Dr. Feldman's statement that <br />one of the biggest problems with diagnosing was that the <br />doctor was limited to what the patient told him. He felt he <br />was relying on something that was difficult to prove - being <br />limited to what the patient related. <br />Dr. Feldman interjected that it was also what the <br />doctor could see. <br />- M, <br />1 <br />