The Lobotomy Letters

This book recounts the history of lobotomy through personal letters and medical documents, revealing its controversial acceptance and impact on patients. The Lobotomy Letters provides critical insights.

The book The Lobotomy Letters explores the complex and often troubling history of lobotomy through original correspondence from patients and their families. It incorporates the professional writings of Walter Freeman, a pioneer in the field of neurology, who played a significant role in promoting this controversial procedure. The narrative reveals how, despite the later criticisms of lobotomy as a brutal and unscientific practice, many patients and their families reported significant improvements in mental health following the surgery. This duality presents a fascinating look at how medical practices can evolve and be viewed differently over time.

In the mid-20th century, psychosurgery gained immense popularity as a treatment for various psychiatric conditions, leading to tens of thousands of lobotomies performed across America by the late 1950s. The Lobotomy Letters delves into the societal and medical factors that contributed to the widespread acceptance of this drastic measure. Through a careful examination of personal narratives and medical documentation, the book sheds light on the motivations behind the procedure's endorsement by the psychiatric community and the experiences of those who underwent it.

Mical Raz, MD/PhD, combines her expertise as a physician and historian of medicine to provide a comprehensive account of this controversial chapter in medical history. By analyzing the perspectives of patients, families, and physicians, The Lobotomy Letters offers valuable insights into the ethical dilemmas and human experiences that shaped the legacy of lobotomy in modern medicine.