New book: ‘The Lobotomy Letters. The Making of American Psychosurgery’ (Mical Raz)

Posted on by Alexandra Bacopoulos-Viau Posted in BooksTagged ,

The Lobotomy Letters

The Making of American Psychosurgery

Mical Raz

University of Rochester Press, 2013

The rise and widespread acceptance of psychosurgery constitutes one of the most troubling chapters in the history of modern medicine. By the late 1950s, tens of thousands of Americans had been lobotomized as treatment for a host of psychiatric disorders. Though the procedure would later be decried as devastating and grossly unscientific, many patients, families, and physicians reported veritable improvement from the surgery; some patients were even considered cured.

The Lobotomy Letters gives an account of why this controversial procedure was sanctioned by psychiatrists and doctors of modern medicine. Drawing from original correspondence penned by lobotomy patients and their families as well as from the professional papers of lobotomy pioneer and neurologist Walter Freeman, the volume reconstructs how physicians, patients, and their families viewed lobotomy and analyzes the reasons for its overwhelming use.

For more information, click here.

4 thoughts on “New book: ‘The Lobotomy Letters. The Making of American Psychosurgery’ (Mical Raz)”

  4. Reply
    Ekaterina says:

    Hi Chris,You’re right, Walter Freeman had a special retialonship with state hospitals in West Virginia. He called this study, in which he lobotomized 228 mental patients, the West Virginia Lobotomy Project. If Freeman did indeed perform your grandfather’s lobotomy — and he may not have, since he enlisted other doctors to participate — there is a good chance that there is a photograph of your grandfather within Freeman’s patient records. Freeman’s patient records are archived at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In fact, people like me can’t see these restricted files. Only people like you, who are direct descendants of Freeman’s patients, are allowed access to Freeman’s patient records.If your grandfather was not one of Freeman’s patients, you might check to see if the hospital where you grandfather was a patient maintains an archive. Failing that, you might see if the local historical society or university archive can help you. is a description of the Freeman/Watts Collection. is a page with information on getting in touch with the archivists at George Washington University. I’ve spoken with the archivists there and can assure you that they’re very sensitive and helpful.I hope that you can find photographs of your grandfather, and that they bring you and your family peace.Sincerely,Miriam

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