Prompt Cast
The Dark History of Lobotomies: From Icepicks to Controversy
TLDR Lobotomies were a popular but controversial treatment for mental illness in the 20th century, involving drilling holes in the skull or using an icepick-like instrument to sever parts of the brain. Dr. Walter Freeman, a pioneer of lobotomies, performed hundreds of procedures with varying outcomes, but the practice fell out of favor due to criticism and the introduction of alternative treatments.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
This podcast episode is about lobotomies and their historical significance in 20th century culture and medicine.
03:41
In the 1930s, lobotomies were performed alongside other archaic treatments like shock therapy and insulin injections to treat mental illness, based on the belief that convulsions were linked to mental illness and that by inducing convulsions, they could treat the condition.
07:57
Lobotomies were initially performed by drilling holes in the skull and adding alcohol to sever the white matter between different areas of gray matter in the brain, but this technique was imprecise and destructive, so a more precise drilling method was developed based on an ancient method of brain surgery called trepanation.
11:46
Dr. Walter Freeman developed the transorbital or icepick lobotomy, which involved using an icepick-like instrument to go through the eye socket and into the brain to remove parts of the prefrontal cortex.
15:53
Dr. Walter Freeman would perform lobotomies by using an icepick-like instrument to crack through the orbital bone and into the frontal cortex, and he became known for his speed and efficiency, performing lobotomies on 228 people in two weeks and 25 patients in one day, without the use of anesthesia, resulting in varied outcomes ranging from improved behavior to rendering patients vegetables.
20:16
Dr. Freeman once killed three people during a visit to a mental institution, including one patient who died instantly when an ice pick slipped while Freeman was taking a photo of the procedure, and he then moved on without missing a beat.
24:17
Lobotomies fell out of favor due to increasing criticism, particularly for the practice of lobotomizing criminals and soldiers from World War II.
27:56
Lobotomies fell out of widespread use with the introduction of Thorazine in 1950, and Dr. Freeman, the pioneer of lobotomies, was banned from surgery after a fatal procedure in 1967.
32:00
Lobotomies are no longer discussed and the hosts move on to other topics, such as recommending books and discussing listener mail.
Categories:
Society & Culture
