Does "they" refer to "distinguished authorities"?

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Context:

As one result of this condition, we receive these offenders in the state hospitals, not on the diagnoses made by the alienists at the trials, but on replies made by them to these test questions, about which they are little more capable of judging, distinguished authorities though they may be, than anyone else.

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@oristarA,

oristarA wrote:

Context:

As one result of this condition, we receive these offenders in the state hospitals, not on the diagnoses made by the alienists at the trials, but on replies made by them to these test questions, about which they are little more capable of judging, distinguished authorities though they may be, than anyone else.

them, they, they... look like a mess to me; and no one wants to clarify it?

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@oristarA,

You are right, that sentence is a bit of a stinker.

Quote:

...not on the diagnoses made by the alienists at the trials, but on replies made by them to these test questions, about which they are little more capable of judging, distinguished authorities though they may be, than anyone else.

not on the diagnoses made by the alienists..., but on replies made by them (the alienists)...

... about which they (the alienists) are little more capable of judging, distinguished authorities though they (the alienists) may be, than anyone else.

(by the way, this is the first time I have seen the word alienist, I believe)

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alienist is a really, really old term for psychiatrist. I don't think it's been in common usage for at least fifty years.

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Does "they" refer to "distinguished authorities"?

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