August 17, 2007

12:44 AM

My Lobotomy. Walter J. Freeman was a psychiatrist who on January 17, 1946 performed the first-ever transorbital or “ice pick” lobotomy in his Washington, D.C. office. Before his death in 1972, he’d crossed and re-crossed the nation 11 times, and had performed the "ice pick" lobotomy on no less than 2500 patients in 23 states. Howard Dully was one of those patients, receiving his lobotomy at age 12, and in this radio documentary he interviews lobotomy patients, their family members, and people who witnessed the operation. [Warning: First link leads to some graphic images which may be NSFW.]
posted by Effigy2000 (9 comments total)

For further reading, here is Howard Dully's Journey.
posted by Effigy2000 at 12:48 AM on August 17, 2007

Double?
posted by dismas at 12:49 AM on August 17, 2007

Thanks for this--it looks fascinating. That SoundPortraits.org archive has a wealth of interesting stuff--I'll be downloading those to listen to later!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:50 AM on August 17, 2007

Whoops. I've just realised that this was a double (of sorts). Delete away!
posted by Effigy2000 at 12:50 AM on August 17, 2007

I'm approaching that first link with great trephination.
posted by Poolio at 12:52 AM on August 17, 2007 [1 favorite]

The before/after photos are terrifying.
posted by CautionToTheWind at 3:05 AM on August 17, 2007

who needs Dr Freeman when you have Rush Limbaugh?
posted by matteo at 3:23 AM on August 17, 2007

Why are lobotomies and electroshock "therapy" even legal?
posted by sotonohito at 5:13 AM on August 17, 2007

I've somehow managed to go my whole life without knowing how lobotomies were performed. It's just amazing to me that: (1) this was ever allowed to happen, and (2) that people were willing to let their own children have a procedure about as crude as trepanation.

I just can't imagine ever thinking this might be a good idea.
posted by itchylick at 5:38 AM on August 17, 2007