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The European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) is a scientific and educational association which represents a variety of disciplines. The first ECNP congress took place in Copenhagen, May 1985, where a working group of European scientists within the field of psychopharmacology was elected to prepare a constituent ECNP congress in Brussels, 1987. Among the most active members of this group was Max Hamilton. At the second ECNP congress in Brussels Max Hamilton was elected as the first honorary member of the ECNP. When we received the message of his death we decided at once to arrange a Max Hamilton memorial symposium at the third ECNP congress, May 1989, in Gothenburg, Sweden. This monograph contains the proceedings of the Max Hamilton symposium which was chaired by the editors. The opening lecture of the third ECNP congress was a Max Hamilton lecture: "A life devoted to science in psychiatry" which was presented by Sir Martin Roth. It seemed obvious to include Sir Martin's lecture as the opening article of this monograph. Although G .E. Berrios was unable to participate in the ECNP congress we have found it logical to include his manuscript on "The Hamilton Depression Scale and the Numerical Description of the Symptoms of Depression" as another personal contribution to Max Hamilton and his rating scales.