Waffling in THREE dimensions.

Monday, January 21, 2008

The Lobotomist

Thank you, Public Broadcasting.

I just watched an hour-long documentary about the inventor and greatest proponent of lobotomy as a surgical procedure. It don't think it was intended to be disturbing, but given the subject matter, could not escape it. My immediate response to anything unnerving is, of course, to write about it on the internets. You can watch the entire episode, nay, the experience online (nevermind, they don't have The Lobotomist up yet, although they do have that episode about The Mormons that got everyone in a tizzy). It was undeniably interesting; they had an actual lobotomy survivor patient interviewed. Given that the procedure was largely discontinued by the start of the 70's and he's still around... he was only 12 years old at the time! His story was covered by NPR's All Things Considered back in 2005 (you can see it here).

Also, they go in through the eye and make a windshield wiper like motion to sever the nerves (see below)



American Experience | PBS

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