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by motleyhatch
993 days ago
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> the broader medical community did not seem to object It seems there was quite a bit of controversy between Freeman and the more scientifically conservative medical community. James Watts, who originally partnered with Freeman and shared a practice with him, left "in disgust" due to the irresponsible application of lobotomy. Other professionals, like John F Fulton, have criticized Freeman's procedure for its lack of precision and broad collateral damage. In the mid 1950s, the whole field was changed fundamentally by the introduction of the first antipsychotic drugs. Yet Freeman continued to perform his operation well over a decade after that. > Freeman faced no repercussions for his actions while he was alive He did eventually lose his medical license in 1967 and lived to see his views fall out of favor with neurologists/surgeons and patients alike (but not for long, he died a few years later). I agree that it's a fascinating part of our recent history. I wish there was some way to get insight from the future about which of our currently accepted treatments will be seen as inhumane or counterproductive or simply bizarre in 50 years. |
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As for repercussions, it seems like Freeman was specifically told by some authority not to perform these procedures anymore in Feb 1967, but his license to practice as a physician was not revoked.
Yes, indeed, medicine is evolving rapidly. I’m betting that our diet fads will look very barbaric in 2050, when we should have much better metabolic agents, not unlike Semaglutide. Transplanting donor organs that would be rejected will hopefully also fall out of fashion. And, I would hope, our reactive, emergency-based approach to healthcare will be replaced by preventative efforts. Nevertheless, I don't think we’re doing anything that will be seen in 50 years to be quite as barbaric as we see lobotomies now.