The maintenance of the integrity of the central nervous system is a forgotten priority. As our population of elderly continues to grow, the assessment and treatment of cognitive deficits can no longer be ignored. The degree of neglect is clear in many recent articles. Despite the ascendance of biological psychiatry, the extent of ignorance is extreme. Medical school and training programs in medicine, psychiatry and neurology must address this problem with imagination and vigor if the defects in attitude, skill, and knowledge are to be overcome. As a psychiatrist in a general hospital, one is most impressed by the need.