John Rutherford

Dalhousie University

J. Rutherford received his PhD degree from the Upstate Medical Centre of the State University of New York in Syracuse in 1972. He joined the Department of Anatomy (now Anatomy and Neurobiology) at Dalhousie University in 1970. During his thirty-eight year tenure there, he taught neuroanatomy and gross anatomy to medical, dental, health professional and graduate students. His reasearch interests throughout most of this period dealt with the investigation of mammalian neural pathways mediating control of somatic and autonomic motor activity. His publications on these topics appeared in the Journal of Comparative Neurology, Anatomy and Embryology, and Brain Research, among others. More recently, as a result of his interest in neurobiology generally, he has become involved with research relating to the history of mental health issues in Atlantic Canada. He currently holds a post-retirement position in the Department.

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  • Protect, Befriend, Respect

    Nova Scotia’s Mental Health Movement, 1908–2008

    By Judith Fingard and John Rutherford     September 2008

    For one hundred years, the Canadian Mental Health Association and its antecedent organizations have constituted a major force in the campaign to improve the prospects of people living with mental illness. This book traces the evolution of the movement in Nova Scotia in three stages, from one that sought to protect mentally compromised people, to one that befriended those struggling with mental disabilities and spoke out against discrimination, and finally, to one that advocates for the rights of consumers and respects their need to speak on their own behalf. This journey through the social policy regarding mental health focuses on the individuals who fought stigma, institutionalization and marginalization: activists, bureaucrats, health professionals and consumers. Often with strong views and frequently with compassion, they attacked the problems of indifference with dedication and energy. The result is a history not only of a particular organization, but also of a society’s approach toward some of its most vulnerable constituents.

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Fernwood Publishing Company Limited gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage, the Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism under the Manitoba Publishers Marketing Assistance Program and the Province of Manitoba, through the Book Publishing Tax Credit, for our publishing program.