- N Yu Pyatnitskiy: Mental Health Research Centre, Moscow, Russia.
E. Bleuler's concept of latent schizophrenia, its relationship with the form of simple schizophrenia and the foundation of the idea that each form of schizophrenia can be latent are analyzed. Bleuler's interpretation of the meaning of different psychopathological symptoms for the diagnosis of schizophrenia and some innate contradictions of his diagnostic approach (declared criteria of absoluteness) are discussed. Different influences of Bleuler's concept on the following national concepts of schizophrenia and its development in the Russian psychiatry are noted.