Episode 488: Walter Freeman Pt 2

<p>American neurologist Walter Jackson Freeman had refined Moniz’s procedure and developed a non-surgical procedure that could be performed in a doctor’s office, which he called a transorbital lobotomy.&nbsp;</p><p>Freeman’s procedure involved inserting a medical instrument similar to an icepick into the patient’s orbital socket to sever the neural connections, without requiring surgery, hospital stays, and long recovery times. Touted as a quick, easy, and painless solution to everything from general malaise and occasional depression to schizophrenia and aggressive behavior, the procedure a go-to solution for the very complex psychological problems that have affected countless people for centuries. Unfortunately, while the procedure was effective for a small number of those who received a lobotomy, it was used indiscriminately, often without consideration for the increasingly disastrous outcomes.</p><p>Today we talk about the tragic and disastrous lobotomy on Rosemary Kennedy and thousands more that occured after it.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>References</p><p>El-Hai, Jack. 2005. <em>The Lobotomist : A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness.</em> Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Press.</p><p>Kaye, Hugh. 2023. <em>The dark history of gay men, lobotomies and Walter Jackson Freeman II.</em> April 25. Accessed July 19, 2023. <a href="https://www.attitude.co.uk/culture/sexuality/the-dark-gay-history-of-lobotomies-and-walter-jackson-freeman-ii-419069/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.attitude.co.uk/culture/sexuality/the-dark-gay-history-of-lobotomies-and-walter-jackson-freeman-ii-419069/</a>.</p><p>Lenz, Lyz. 2017. <em>The Secret Lobotomy of Rosemary Kennedy.</em> March 31. Accessed July 18, 2023. <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a26261/secret-lobotomy-rosemary-kennedy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a26261/secret-lobotomy-rosemary-kennedy/</a>.</p><p>National Public Radio. 2005. <em>Frequently asked qu