The Messed Up History of the Ice Pick Lobotomy
In the 1940s and 1950s, Dr Walter Freeman performed his 'pioneering' procedure on thousands of people, and trained other doctors to perform it on thousands more. The media was calling it a 'miracle cure' for any and all mental illness. You could get it done at your local doctor's office in five minutes for the bargain price of 25 bucks. The only problem? The 'procedure' involved taking an ice pick, sticking it through the eye socket up into the brain, and swishing it around at random. People would go in suffering mild depression, and come out with the mental capacity of a toddler. But that didn't stop Dr Freeman, with hundreds of thousands of people getting the 'miracle' Ice Pick Lobotomy before he was finally stopped.
We give you Just The Gist, but if you want more, there's this:
Psych Central article: https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-surprising-history-of-the-lobotomy/
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobotomy
Guardian article about Howard Dully: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/jan/13/neuroscience.medicalscience
NPR interview with Howard Dully: https://www.npr.org/2005/11/16/5014080/my-lobotomy-howard-dullys-journey
More info on Rosemary Kennedy: https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/rosemary-kennedy-jfk-sister-life-lobotomy-what-happened/
Great episode of 'LORE' with super gory reinactments, but tells the story really well (watch in Aus on AmazonPrime): https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0HBSJWFIHCW6RDKSPFSX0YILCW/ref=atv_hm_hom_c_8pZiqd_2_1
Follow us on Insta! @rosiewaterland@jacobwilliamstanley@justthegistpodcast
Email us your suGISTions! justthegistpodcast@gmail.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We give you Just The Gist, but if you want more, there's this:
Psych Central article: https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-surprising-history-of-the-lobotomy/
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobotomy
Guardian article about Howard Dully: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/jan/13/neuroscience.medicalscience
NPR interview with Howard Dully: https://www.npr.org/2005/11/16/5014080/my-lobotomy-howard-dullys-journey
More info on Rosemary Kennedy: https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/rosemary-kennedy-jfk-sister-life-lobotomy-what-happened/
Great episode of 'LORE' with super gory reinactments, but tells the story really well (watch in Aus on AmazonPrime): https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0HBSJWFIHCW6RDKSPFSX0YILCW/ref=atv_hm_hom_c_8pZiqd_2_1
Follow us on Insta! @rosiewaterland@jacobwilliamstanley@justthegistpodcast
Email us your suGISTions! justthegistpodcast@gmail.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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