Walter Jackson Freeman II

Walter Jackson Freeman II (November 14, 1895 – May 31, 1972) was an American neurologist and psychiatrist known for his work in the development and popularization of the lobotomy procedure in the United States.

Early Life and Education

Freeman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a family with a strong medical background. He attended Yale University, where he earned his undergraduate degree, and later received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Career

Freeman began his career as a neurologist and was influenced by the work of Egas Moniz, a Portuguese neurologist who developed the leucotomy, a precursor to the lobotomy. Freeman, along with his colleague James W. Watts, performed the first prefrontal lobotomy in the United States in 1936.

Lobotomy

Freeman is best known for his role in the development and promotion of the transorbital lobotomy, a procedure that involved inserting an ice pick-like instrument through the eye socket to sever connections in the prefrontal cortex. This procedure was intended to treat various mental disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Freeman's methods were controversial and faced criticism from the medical community. Despite this, he continued to perform lobotomies throughout his career, traveling across the country to demonstrate the procedure.

Legacy

Freeman's work has been the subject of much debate and criticism. While he believed that lobotomies could alleviate suffering, the procedure often resulted in severe side effects, including cognitive impairment, personality changes, and death.

Freeman's legacy is a complex one, as he is both credited with bringing attention to the treatment of mental illness and criticized for the ethical implications of his methods.

Death

Walter Jackson Freeman II died of cancer on May 31, 1972, in San Francisco, California.

See Also

• Egas Moniz
• History of lobotomy
• Psychosurgery

References

Jack,

 The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness, 
  
 John Wiley & Sons, 
 2005, 
  
  
 ISBN 978-0-471-23292-0,

Pressman, Jack D.,

 Last Resort: Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine, 
 Cambridge University Press, 
 1998, 
  
  
 DOI: 10.1017/CBO9780511583619,

External Links

• PBS American Experience: The Lobotomist