Freeman Lobotomies

In order to perform this new type of lobotomy, Freeman needed a certain kind of tool. He went the cheapest route possible in that of finding a useful tool from his house, -a Uline Ice Company ice pick. When searching for the perfect tool to use, Freeman found other instruments that could serve for his purpose (example being a spinal needle), but they did not work due to it being either too flimsy or weak to the heaviness of the object was too great for the perfect perforce. As cited by Brianne Collins and Henderikus Stam, “This crude, nonsurgical tool was ideal because it was strong, slender, and sharp enough for the task Freeman had in mind –breaking through the skull’s orbital plates about the eyes.” (Freeman, 1949a as cited by Collins, B.

In just one day, he operated on twenty-five women. One would find that incredibly hard to believe, meaning that it was not possible, but the idea that in over two weeks, he completed over 200 surgeries. My question is this, how accurate was his performance and what were the outcomes of those women? According to the public, “Freeman’s gratuitous use of lobotomies is now considered a shameful and infamous part of twentieth century medicine, his determination to treat psychiatric symptoms with biological approaches is impressive give the limited knowledge of the neurological basis for psychiatric disorders during his time.” (Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, April 8, 2008). So based on not having enough knowledge of psychosurgery and the brain, Freeman’s surgical procedures, based on his determination, was pretty good. One would feel, though, that how he went about it, how he performed the surgeries, and how the patients were treated based off the surgery and it’s tools that he was very inhumane and the procedure was shameful. After this, the lobotomy era did not last long. (Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, April 8,