Thursday, April 13, 2006
book report: Madhouse; The Lobotomist
Madhouse : A Tragic Tale of Megalomania and Modern Medicine
by Andrew Scull
This book is about a horrifying chapter in American medical history. Psychiatrist Henry Cotton practiced in the early 1900s and became convinced that mental illness was caused by infection in other parts of the body, such as the teeth, the colon, the tonsils, and the uterus, and therefore recommended removing some or all of these organs in order to reverse the mental illness. He believed this so strongly that he had all of his childrens' teeth pulled out to prevent them from going nuts later in life. It's quite shocking, especially when it becomes evident that many other doctors and administrators knew that Cotton's data (that supposedly showed that his technique was successful) was hopelessly flawed. It's a terrific argument for the vital importance of truth-telling and accountability in health care.
The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness
by Jack El-Hai
This book is a biography of Dr. Walter Freeman, the psychiatrist turned "psychosurgeon" who popularized the use in the US of the lobotomy as a treatment of last resort for patients with severe mental illness. It's a disturbing tale. While Freeman seemed to genuinely believe that he was helping people, even following up on his patients decades later, his own accounts said that fewer than half of the surgery subjects were improved. Many suffered negative side effects such as seizures and loss of cognitive ability, in addition to the (desired) personality changes. It is amazing to me that this surgery was still being done less than a generation ago - there are still plenty of lobotomy patients alive in our communities today. Can you imagine going to the doctor for severe depression and being told, "I want to jam an icepick through your eye socket into your brain, and then you'll feel much better"??
by Andrew Scull
This book is about a horrifying chapter in American medical history. Psychiatrist Henry Cotton practiced in the early 1900s and became convinced that mental illness was caused by infection in other parts of the body, such as the teeth, the colon, the tonsils, and the uterus, and therefore recommended removing some or all of these organs in order to reverse the mental illness. He believed this so strongly that he had all of his childrens' teeth pulled out to prevent them from going nuts later in life. It's quite shocking, especially when it becomes evident that many other doctors and administrators knew that Cotton's data (that supposedly showed that his technique was successful) was hopelessly flawed. It's a terrific argument for the vital importance of truth-telling and accountability in health care.
The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness
by Jack El-Hai
This book is a biography of Dr. Walter Freeman, the psychiatrist turned "psychosurgeon" who popularized the use in the US of the lobotomy as a treatment of last resort for patients with severe mental illness. It's a disturbing tale. While Freeman seemed to genuinely believe that he was helping people, even following up on his patients decades later, his own accounts said that fewer than half of the surgery subjects were improved. Many suffered negative side effects such as seizures and loss of cognitive ability, in addition to the (desired) personality changes. It is amazing to me that this surgery was still being done less than a generation ago - there are still plenty of lobotomy patients alive in our communities today. Can you imagine going to the doctor for severe depression and being told, "I want to jam an icepick through your eye socket into your brain, and then you'll feel much better"??
Labels: book reports, medical
