Dr Antonio Egas Moniz example essay topic

381 words
On December 27, 1935 Dr. Egas Moniz did the first modern psychosurgery. Dr. Moniz was born Antonio Caetano de Abreu Freire Egas Moniz in Aven ca, Portugal on November 29, 1874. At the time of his discovery he was a professor of neurology at the University of Lisbon Medical School. Dr Moniz based his work on the findings of Dr. John Fulton who completely removed the frontal lobes of two chimpanzees without the apparent loss of other mental functions. Dr. Moniz developed a technique he called prefrontal leucotomy or as we know it frontal lobotomy, which consisted in severing fiber tracts between the thalamus and the frontal lobes. By doing this, his understanding was that an interruption of the repetitive thoughts would allow a more normal life for a psychotic.

To perform the surgery he would open several small holes by trepanning the two sides of the brain, and insert a special wire knife (which he called a leucotomy) into the brains substance. With a few sideways movements the fibers were severed and the patient could regain a normal life. His results were considered so good, that lobotomy started to be used in several countries as a radical treatment of several kinds of mental diseases. Mostly in institutionalized patients who showed chronic agitation, distress, or obsessive-impulse behavior. Dr. Moniz received the Nobel Prize in 1949 for his discovery. Dr. Antonio Egas Moniz died in Lisbon, Portugal on December 13, 1955.

There were a few public figures that were subjected to lobotomy. Rosemary Kennedy (1941) and Rosa Williams (1943) both had unsuccessful surgeries. Leaving them both unable to live a normal life. On the other hand Frances Farmer had the surgery done in 1948 and over time successfully supported herself as a hotel clerk and later able to get back into show business. During this time lobotomy was in its heyday and was considered the "miracle cure" for aggressive and inadequate behavior. In many instances, lobotomy was widely abused and it was carried out in problem children, rebel adolescents, and political opponents.

In the 1950's the evidence of its widespread abuse, lobotomy and other forms of leucotomy were abandoned and are no longer performed.